Why you should not mix an energy drink with alcohol
DR. Hanifa Bachu, a nutritionist, says punching spirits with energy drinks is dangerous because the latter offsets the effects of alcohol.
DR. Hanifa Bachu, a nutritionist, says punching spirits with energy drinks is dangerous because the latter offsets the effects of alcohol.
By incorporating an energy drink into alcohol, you consume more alcohol without staggering or blacking out, so if you are intoxicated, you can still have the stamina to dance or engage in a lively conversation.
“When you mix alcohol and an energy drink, you are mixing a stimulant which speeds up the central nervous system and a depressant. In the process, you misdirect the brain and could spark off nausea, vomiting, heart irregularities, panic attacks, anxiety and delusions,†says Bachu.
Actually, taking energy drinks daily or even weekly may increase your risk of becoming an alcoholic.
In a recent study of more than 1,000 college students, people who drank energy beverages 52 or more times a year were more than twice as likely as non-users to meet criteria for alcohol dependence.
In addition, such “high-frequency users†were more likely to get drunk at an earlier age, drink more in one sitting, black out, and/or experience hangover symptoms.
Though energy drinks are not bad if used occasionally, it is important to use them correctly. If someone consumes too many energy drinks in a small time span, there are sure to be slight health risks.
It is also important not to mix energy drinks with alcohol because this increases the chance for health risks to occur. One energy drink a day is unlikely to do much harm unless you are particularly sensitive to caffeine.
It is not wise to combine an energy drink with alcohol, or to rely on it to re-hydrate you during or after exercise.
By incorporating an energy drink into alcohol, you consume more alcohol without staggering or blacking out, so if you are intoxicated, you can still have the stamina to dance or engage in a lively conversation.
“When you mix alcohol and an energy drink, you are mixing a stimulant which speeds up the central nervous system and a depressant. In the process, you misdirect the brain and could spark off nausea, vomiting, heart irregularities, panic attacks, anxiety and delusions,†says Bachu.
Actually, taking energy drinks daily or even weekly may increase your risk of becoming an alcoholic.
In a recent study of more than 1,000 college students, people who drank energy beverages 52 or more times a year were more than twice as likely as non-users to meet criteria for alcohol dependence.
In addition, such “high-frequency users†were more likely to get drunk at an earlier age, drink more in one sitting, black out, and/or experience hangover symptoms.
Though energy drinks are not bad if used occasionally, it is important to use them correctly. If someone consumes too many energy drinks in a small time span, there are sure to be slight health risks.
It is also important not to mix energy drinks with alcohol because this increases the chance for health risks to occur. One energy drink a day is unlikely to do much harm unless you are particularly sensitive to caffeine.
It is not wise to combine an energy drink with alcohol, or to rely on it to re-hydrate you during or after exercise.