The Painful Consequences of Energy Drink Cocktails

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The Painful Consequences of Energy Drink Cocktails

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
November 22 2007 | 22,455 views

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks doubles your risk of being harmed compared with drinking just alcohol, according to researchers from Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

After surveying more than 4,000 U.S. students, the researchers found that compared with students who did not drink “energy drink cocktails,” those who did were twice as likely to:

Get injured
Require medical attention
Travel with a drunk driver
Take sexual advantage of someone
Be taken advantage of sexually

Energy drink cocktails contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants, mixed with alcohol, such as vodka.

The drinks appear to increase risky behaviors because they mask the feelings of drunkenness typically associated with drinking alcohol.

As a result, students who drank energy drink cocktails drank nearly 40 percent more than other students, and had twice as many episodes of “weekly drunkenness.”

Although you may not feel “drunk” when you drink energy drink cocktails, the researchers pointed out that the effects of alcohol -- such as impaired motor skills, visual reaction times and judgment -- are still there.

Sources:

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Mixing energy drinks with alcohol, which is combining a stimulant with a depressant, has become an increasingly popular occurrence at bars. When mixed with alcohol, drinks like Red Bull are instantly morphed into popular club drinks like "Vodka Bulls" and "Yager Bombs."

But there is a major problem that occurs when you mix a powerful stimulant with a powerful depressant: some people’s bodies simply can’t take it.

The combination can, in fact, cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failure, which can be deadly.

The extreme amounts of caffeine and other stimulants will also keep you artificially alert and awake, all while the alcohol is impairing your judgment, unbeknownst to you.

The caffeine also raises your heart rate and increases your blood pressure, which is particularly dangerous if you already struggle with this condition.

Some energy drinks can contain a huge amount of caffeine -- as much as 300 milligrams in a single serving. For comparison, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits caffeine in food and beverages to 65 mg a serving (energy drinks, however, are not regulated by the FDA).

Countries like France and Denmark have even banned sales of Red Bull following several reported deaths of people who mixed the energy drink with alcohol.

Meanwhile, both caffeine and alcohol promote fluid loss in your body, which can lead to dehydration.

When you read through all the risks, does it still sound like fun to toast your friends with an energy drink cocktail? I should think not.

You Can Increase Your Energy Without Energy Drinks

If you’re drinking energy drinks for the reason most people do -- to get more energy -- there are far superior options for you.

Your lack of energy is likely due to a combination of factors including:

Poor food choices
Low-quality food
Stressful lifestyle
Unhealed negative emotional events
Lack of optimal sleep and exercise

Increasing your energy levels, then, is as easy as remedying these factors by:

Eating right for your nutritional type
Releasing emotional stress and negativity with the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Sleeping when you’re tired
Exercising

As for alcohol, I really don’t recommend drinking it at all. It is well established that alcohol is a neurotoxin, which means it can poison your brain. You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of alcohol -- even wine -- will increase your insulin levels, thereby accelerating your risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases.