Alcoholic energy drink - harm or benefit? What happens if you mix vodka with energy drink.

19.04.2024

Alcoholic energy drink is a very controversial drink. Why? Energy drinks have a stimulating function, but alcohol has a depressing function.

The opposition is obvious! The energy drink “masks” the influence of alcohol, which is why many people do not take it into account and weaken control over the amount they drink. The result is more active consumption of alcohol, which subsequently causes natural fatigue, which is still interrupted by the effect of the stimulating drink. However, first things first.

Compound

This is the first thing you should pay attention to when talking about alcoholic energy drinks. So, they contain the following substances:

Glucose and sucrose in large quantities. These are easily digestible carbohydrates, the main source of energy.
Caffeine. Stimulates the central nervous system, accelerates the pulse, enhances cardiac activity, promotes the accumulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which leads to adrenaline-like effects.
Theobromine. It is close in composition to caffeine and has a similar effect - it stimulates the heart muscle.
Taurine. It has an antioxidant effect, stimulates the emulsification of fats in the intestines, and has a cardiotropic effect. In general, it improves energy processes.
Glucuronolactone. This is a natural metabolite of glucose, a direct “precursor” of taurine, which helps improve mental activity.
L-carnitine. Has a neuroprotective effect.
Vitamins B and D-ribose. Substances necessary for every person, because they improve metabolism.

Extracts

They are also included in low-alcohol energy drinks. The most common are:

Guarana extract. An effective stimulant - it contains twice as much caffeine as coffee beans.
Ginseng extract. This is a source of all kinds of useful substances. These include saponins, xatriols, active polyacetylenes, peptides, polysaccharides, acids (folic, nicotinic, pantothenic), essential oils, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, molybdenum, manganese, cobalt, chromium, titanium, zinc... in general , it’s impossible to list everything.

By the way, another common addition is black carrot juice. It contains a large amount of antioxidants - 12 times more than in a regular orange fruit.

Alcohol

And this is the main component of low-alcohol energy drinks. And everyone knows how harmful it is. Alcohol has a toxic effect on our entire body.

And now we are not even talking about such consequences as an increase in the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. Alcohol is a depressant. A substance that depresses the activity of the central nervous system and often provokes mental disorders.

Possible consequences

Everything, of course, depends on the individual characteristics of the body, but the combination of caffeine and ethanol may not cause the most pleasant reaction. Because the surge of energy caused by all stimulants and sugar will be instantly blocked by the effect exerted by the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol. So here are the possible consequences:

Excessive stress on the psyche. As a result, behavior is difficult to control.
Abnormal load on the cardiovascular system, increased contractions.
CNS disorders. They are provoked by both excess caffeine and alcohol.
Risk of developing diabetes, weight gain.
Load on all internal organ systems.

Well, the most important consequence, which not a single person who drinks alcoholic energy drinks can avoid, is the long recovery of the body. Everyone knows that the breakdown products of alcohol take a very long time to be eliminated.

addictive

A consequence that needs to be mentioned separately. Alcoholic energy drinks are very addictive and addictive. Over time, a person notices that he needs to drink a lot more tonic strong drink in order to achieve the effect that previously occurred from one jar.

And everyone knows that excessive addiction to such cocktails is a direct path to drunkenness and alcoholism. And it is not just words. In energy drinks, the “degree” is practically not felt (although it is present in considerable quantities), so a person simply knocks over one can after another, without even noticing it.

Famous example: Jaguar

“Jaguar” is an alcoholic energy drink whose name is on everyone’s lips. It cannot be called “weak”, since the ethyl alcohol content is 7%. And this is more than in strong beer. Previously, by the way, Jaguar was produced with a content of 5.5% and 9%.

In addition to alcohol, this drink contains water, citric acid, sugar, caffeine, taurine and extract from Paraguayan holly (mate) leaves. It determines the sweet-tart taste of the cocktail.

In addition to the above, the composition contains dyes (carmine, anthocyanin and caramel), as well as flavors and vitamins. Energy value is approximately 100 kcal.

Jaguar is harmful. Sodium benzoate (E211), which is part of it, can cause DNA changes in large quantities and is the cause of Parkinson's disease and cancer. And the dye E129, which causes the red color of the drink, is a carcinogen, banned in 9 European countries.

List of popular drinks

In continuation of the topic under discussion, I would like to list a list of alcoholic energy drinks that are somewhat popular.

Revo. The “classic” version is a drink in a silver can with a sour-fresh taste. There is a “cherry” modification in red containers and a “grapefruit” modification in orange. All contain 9% alcohol. Shizandra (8%) and Revo Angel (6%) versions are also available.
Strike. Inexpensive drink with 8% alcohol content. One can of it creates the same effect as 3-4 cups of strong black coffee and a 50-gram shot of vodka.
Hooch. A budget option with 7% alcohol content and a wide range of flavors. There are apple, lemon, grapefruit, orange and black currant.

However, only the famous inspiring non-alcoholic Red Bull, diluted with vodka, is more popular than all the listed options. But you need to knead it yourself - the manufacturer does not produce “ready-made” versions.

Benefit

Well, enough has been said about the dangers of alcoholic energy drinks. But wherever there are disadvantages, there are definitely advantages! So what about the benefits? Oddly enough, but it is present.

At the very beginning, the substances included in these cocktails were listed, and they are really useful. True, their positive effect is smoothed out by alcohol, but still.

However, in certain situations, even an alcoholic energy drink can help. He won't let you fall asleep if you really want to sleep, but you can't. For example, when deadlines are running out at work. Okay, but how can you work if alcohol gets into your body? It’s easy and simple, because in small quantities (you must remember in moderation!) alcohol relaxes, relieves unnecessary thoughts, and relieves tension. In such a relaxed state, work is much calmer.

Right choice

You shouldn’t buy the first energy drink you come across if you decide to cheer yourself up. When choosing a drink, you should be guided by the following rules:

The best energy drink is the one that contains only one tonic substance. It is better if it is a natural plant extract.
It is worth paying attention to the content of flavoring additives and dyes. There is no point in consuming excess carcinogens.
Don't be tempted by a half-liter jar. The daily norm is 250-300 ml.
You should immediately buy bottled water, at least 0.5 liters. Energy drinks dehydrate, you will have to restore the balance.

And one more thing: you don’t need to eat this drink with chocolate or wash it down with coffee. This is an extra energy shock to the body.

Turning to the law

There are some legal nuances regarding the topic under consideration. Namely, the law on the sale of energy drinks.

Everyone knows how in Russia they unsuccessfully strive to combat the sale of all kinds of psychotropic substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Tonic cocktails are no exception! In 2014, the State Duma tried to introduce a law on the sale of energy drinks. It was proposed to prohibit the sale of tonic drinks to minors.

Was the law passed? Not really. The ban was established only on May 1, 2017, only for Moscow and the region. Also, in these and some other regions (in Crimea, for example), they stopped selling Coca-Cola without presenting a passport! This is because the popular soda, which is even bought for children, contains caffeine, albeit in small quantities.

In fact, if you want to cheer up, it is better to choose an option without ethyl alcohol, if the question is which one to buy - alcoholic or not. The energy drink “Drive” can be a good option, as well as “Gorilla”, “Non Stop”, “Owl”, “MTV Up!”, “Adrenaline Rush”, “Monster” and many others. But it’s better to drink a cup of natural, freshly ground coffee. If you drink it in moderation, it will have a number of beneficial effects.

Alcoholic energy drinks have become 37% more popular over the past five years. But according to scientists, these drinks are very harmful to health, and their massive consumption can lead to large-scale problems. Is it true?

Alcohol itself causes considerable harm to the human body. This has long been a fact and has been scientifically proven more than once. What about regular energy drinks? It is impossible to say that they have a detrimental effect on the physical and mental development of people. And there are very few cases of the destructive effect of simple energy tonics on the human body - literally one in ten million. Recently, a new trend has emerged - alcoholic energy cocktails. Doctors and people who understand the principles of operation of these mixes, after research, stubbornly insist that drinking tonics with an ethyl alcohol content of more than 1.2% is not only harmful, but also deadly! Let's consider how true their statements are.

In order to more correctly and clearly answer the question: “What is the harm of alcohol-based tonic drinks?”, first you need to analyze their composition.

Typically, the main components of simple energy tonics are the following ingredients:

caffeine;
sugar;
preservative (sodium benzoate);
dyes and flavorings (guarana extract, taurine, black carrot juice, etc.).

In addition to the main components, alcoholic invigorating mixtures contain ethyl alcohol. Without it, raising the “degree” in the finished drink would be impossible, since this is not beer, and natural fermentation processes do not occur when preparing energy tonics. Caffeine and sugar in tonic mixes play the role of energy supplements, so you can’t live without them. Adding a preservative increases the shelf life of the finished product. And finally, flavors and colors are added to energy drinks for one purpose - to make them drinkable. What are the benefits of such cocktails? Logically speaking, they
are needed to relieve a drowsy state for a certain period of time in order to increase a person’s performance. This may be necessary, for example, if you need to finish some work today at all costs, but you feel unbearably sleepy. After all, there are no specialized tablets for relieving sleep, although there are ones to create.

However, not all energy drink consumers use these liquids for their intended purpose. The veracity of this statement can be proven by the fact that the main consumers of invigorating drinks are young people - students, teenagers and, oddly enough, schoolchildren who need energy tonics in order to stay awake while hanging out in clubs.

In this regard, the question itself begs: “How do energy drinks with alcohol affect the condition of people, especially minors?”

Tonic liquids with a “degree” - action

The basic principle of the operation of alcoholic invigorating drinks is determined by three substances included in the composition:

Ethanol.
Caffeine.
Sugar.

After entering the stomach, ethanol begins to be absorbed into the blood, causing painfully well-known consequences: relaxation, drowsiness, inertia. In general, there is an obvious decline in activity.

After caffeine, on the contrary, memory and attention are activated, and the internal reserve of strength awakens. Sugar is quite high in calories, so it can also be considered as a source of energy.

As you can see, the actions are absolutely opposite. It follows from this that after drinking an energy drink with alcohol, a person is unlikely to feel a surge of energy, since the tonic effect of caffeine is “muffled” by the action of alcohol breakdown products. It's not that scary yet. After all, lethargy and relaxation after exposure to alcohol will be compensated by the invigorating effect of caffeine. As a result, a person who drinks an alcoholic energy drink will be drunk, but will not feel it.

Meanwhile, the lack of vigor will force him to drink a second, third, and so on can of dangerous liquid, without thinking about the consequences.

And considering that one such “jar of energy” contains 80 mg of caffeine and 30 g of sugar, an overdose of energy drinks containing alcohol entails a whole list of consequences:

taking energy tonics in excess of the norm and, as a result, entering a state of so-called vigilant drunkenness, when excessive stress on the psyche makes a person’s behavior unpredictable;
arrhythmia, rapid pulse;
psychotic disorders associated with caffeine overdose;
weight gain and risk of developing diabetes due to increased sugar consumption;
exacerbation of chronic diseases against the background of increased stress on internal organs.

Judging by the amount of caffeine and sugar in one bottle of the drink, we can conclude: you cannot drink more than one, or at least two, cans of energy drink per day. Exceeding the daily dose may interfere with normal perception.

Schoolchildren and minors are strictly prohibited from consuming invigorating alcoholic beverages. If this is neglected, the consequences of admission may affect the academic performance of adolescents.

What to do to avoid harming yourself with energy tonics?

There are several ways to protect yourself from harmful effects after taking “energizing” drinks with alcohol:

The progressively increasing rate of consumption of tonic drinks with alcohol among frivolous youth leads to the emergence of mental problems in the younger generation. Some European countries have already said “no” to products containing both alcohol and caffeine. In general, consuming invigorating mixes with a strength of more than 1.2% does not make sense, since it does not make a person more alert.

MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. Mixing alcoholic drinks with energy drinks leads to masking the toxic effect of alcohol, which is why a person may not notice the onset of poisoning. Experts strongly remind us of this on the eve of the New Year holidays.

Mixing alcohol with energy drinks is very dangerous. People are trying to cheer themselves up, prolong the holiday fun, mixing energy drinks with strong alcohol and “getting their hearts going.” Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Narcology of the First Moscow State Medical University named after. I.M. Sechenov Yuri Sivolap told TASS that the danger of such a mixture lies precisely in their contrasting effect on the body.

He explained that energy drinks mask the manifestations of alcohol intoxication, and a person simply does not notice how strongly intoxicated he is. “The toxic effect of alcohol, the influence of alcohol on the liver, pancreas, that is, its poisonous effects, does not go away. Therefore, when energy drinks mask the effect of alcohol, a person goes overboard with the dose of alcohol,” the narcologist said.

He also added that the danger of such combinations is the high carbohydrate content in energy drinks. According to Sivolap, the risk of pancreatic damage and the risk of developing diabetes increases in people who drink sugar-sweetened drinks and alcohol.

Without noticing intoxication and overeating

Maria Vinnikova, a professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Narcology at Sechenov University, called this state “waking intoxication.” “Caffeine neutralizes the effects of alcohol, a person develops the feeling that he is absolutely sober, he drinks an additional dose, the concentration of alcohol, and accordingly, intoxication increases, but the person continues to be in the illusion that he is sober,” Vinnikova explained. According to her, the sugars, stabilizers, and emulsifiers contained in such drinks can make a hangover more severe.

“For the human central nervous system, the combination of alcohol and caffeine is also quite dangerous, because the multidirectional, antagonistic effect - sedative and activating - on different neurotransmitter systems leads to dysfunctional operation of these systems,” the professor clarified. This can have “various negative consequences - from anxiety, depression to alcoholism.”

Even in a state of slight intoxication, a person’s control over behavior, including eating, is weakened. “Caffeine provokes hunger, that is, it makes you want to eat. Overeating occurs. Yes, low-alcohol sweet drinks with caffeine can be considered as a provoking factor for weight gain,” Vinnikova clarified.

Volumes of alcohol

For a man of average parameters with a height of approximately 1.75 and a weight of approximately 70 kg, a non-hazardous dose of alcohol is considered to be 300-350 g per day, but you need to drink gradually, and not at once. For a woman, this dose should be half as much. In order for alcohol to be better absorbed, you should not mix strong alcohol with beer or wine; it is better to drink them separately and at large intervals.

Narcologist Yuri Vyalba also advised Russians to eat pickles and drink brine the next day after drinking alcohol. According to him, salt attracts and retains water in the body, and dill, traditionally contained in cucumber brines, has a powerful antioxidant effect, which reduces intoxication of the body as a whole. A similar opinion was expressed by TASS and the director of the National Scientific Center for Narcology, a branch of the Center for Psychiatry and Narcology named after. V. P. Serbsky Ministry of Health of Russia Tatyana Klimenko.

According to her, the New Year's table should consist primarily of pickles rather than traditional fatty salads with mayonnaise and sweet fruit mixes. “The emphasis should be placed not on salads from fresh vegetables and fruits, but on sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers and pickled tomatoes, in order to replenish these ion losses in advance,” she said.

Dilute with water and do not mix

Narcologist Klimenko advised Russians to dilute all alcoholic drinks with water for better absorption. “On the one hand, we thus reduce the concentration of alcohol in the drink that is consumed, and on the other hand, we replenish fluid loss, which serves as a prevention of intoxication and hangover syndrome in the morning,” she said. According to her, it is better to dilute both strong and low-alcohol drinks. But it’s better not to drink carbonated drinks at the New Year’s table at all, as they speed up absorption, and this leads to rapid intoxication and a sharp deterioration in well-being.

The content of various fusel oils and surrogate substances in alcoholic drinks, according to Klimenko, when mixed, has a negative effect on humans. “When a person mixes alcoholic drinks of different strengths, it is very difficult for him to control how much he drank, so it is still recommended to drink one type of alcoholic drink at the table,” the narcologist added.

Post December 04, 2013 at 07:37 pm By Elena Birka Views: 3026

Such a “cocktail” is a real bomb for the human body, as the risk of poisoning increases significantly, experts warn.

Mixing these two ingredients is much more dangerous than drinking alcohol in its pure form, say American researchers
People who combine alcohol with energy drinks tend to drink much more than usual
Such a person is also more likely to behave negatively during an alcoholic feast.

The booze bomb is a favorite of many nightclub goers, but researchers warn it puts people at a much greater risk of alcohol poisoning. American experts have found that mixing alcohol with energy drinks is riskier than drinking alcohol alone. Young people, having chosen this drink, drink much more than usual.

Dr. Megan Patrick, from the Michigan Institute for Social Research, said, "We found that college students tend to drink significantly more on days when they mix energy drinks and alcohol compared to drinking alcohol alone."

Dr Patrick worked with Professor Jennifer Megs from the University of Pennsylvania, who said drinking the drink could increase the risk of alcohol poisoning because people drink much more of it than usual. Waking up drunk after a party, a person does not always remember his behavior, which is most often rude.

Researchers studied 652 college students who were asked to answer questions about their energy drink and alcohol consumption over four two-week periods. Participants also had to write down any problems they had encountered, from suffering from a hangover to getting into trouble with the police.

Dr Patrick said: 'Our findings suggest that the use of energy drinks and alcohol may lead to more severe drink-related consequences. Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular. Prevention strategies should be developed now to reduce the negative consequences of their consumption in combination with alcohol.”

This news comes only after it became known that energy drinks with high caffeine content can change the rhythm of a person's heartbeat. Researchers from the University of Bonn, Germany, have found that such drinks may increase the risk of potentially fatal heart problems. They found that healthy adults who consumed energy drinks with alcohol had an increased heart rate after just an hour. The chamber of the heart that pumps blood throughout the body - the left ventricle - was completely depleted after the energy drink was removed from the body.

Dr. Jonas Dorner said, “Energy drinks have adverse side effects that impair heart function, especially in adolescents and young adults. "We believe the government needs to better regulate the sale of energy drinks."

Comments:

Energy drinks are quite popular products available in many stores. In recent decades, energy drinks have begun to be sold everywhere, and the number of their lovers has increased several times. The high popularity of energy drinks is due to their effect on the body. After drinking just a few sips of the “wonderful liquid”, any person will feel the invigorating effect for quite a long time.

Energy drink manufacturers are constantly striving to improve their products. One of the innovations was the addition of ethyl alcohol to energy drinks, which significantly improves and prolongs their effect. In today’s material, we decided to cover our resource in as much detail as possible. Read about the action, potential harm and other features in the article below.

Composition of energy drinks with alcohol

As noted above, an energy drink is a kind of tonic for a person’s condition. Once in the body, the energy drink sets it up to function in full wakefulness, regardless of external factors such as lack of sleep, severe physical fatigue, and the like. This effect is achieved due to the unique composition of the drink.

The final list of components in different energy drinks may differ. However, in any case, the composition of the drink includes:

sugar or its substitutes
preservatives (the main of which is sodium benzoate)
dyes
flavor enhancers and additives

The energy drinks we're looking at today also have alcohol added to them. As a rule, pure ethyl alcohol is used, processed according to generally accepted standards and measured in a safe quantity. It is alcohol that distinguishes energy drinks made from it from ordinary drinks for buyers. In addition to a temporary feeling of cheerfulness, such tonics make you happy and give you a state of euphoria.

In general, the composition of alcoholic energy drinks is quite natural and normal, given the general purpose of this product. When consumed once, not a single component of the drink will harm an adult. However, systematic or simply frequent consumption of alcoholic energy drinks is dangerous both from the point of view of their composition and from the point of view of the general effect of drinks on the body.

The effects of drinks on the body

Consuming energy drinks with a certain frequency or in large quantities is guaranteed to cause harm to health, regardless of whether they contain alcohol or not. Once in the body, energy drinks are quickly absorbed and begin to tone the person in an unnatural way.

Mainly, this happens due to stimulation of the cardiovascular and nervous systems of the body. The high frequency of such exposure negatively affects the functioning of internal organs, therefore, abusing any energy drinks is unacceptable and extremely dangerous.

As for alcoholic energy drinks, they pose an even greater threat. This is due to the heterogeneity of the effects of their components on the body:

Caffeine and sugar give a person energy and wakefulness, as a result of which he seems inspired and ready for new achievements.
Alcohol relaxes and gives a state of euphoria, which negatively affects the correct perception of the world.

At first glance, the effect of the components of the energy drink should be mutually neutralized. To some extent, a similar phenomenon is indeed observed, but only partly. In fact, the properties of ethyl alcohol and caffeine are combined. As a result, the person gradually gets drunk, but due to the surging vivacity, he does not feel an energy boost. under certain circumstances can be unfavorable for absolutely any person.

A relatively insignificant result from taking energy drinks may be health problems that can be neutralized over a period of time. However, the risks of failure of the internal systems of the body, which provokes the death of a person, cannot be excluded. Of course, this does not happen often, but it does occur and should be noted in any case.

The harm of alcoholic energy drinks

Negative consequences from drinking alcoholic energy drinks are observed in people:

taking these drinks in excess of the norm or with high frequency
or nervous systems
having an intolerance to the components of a particular drink

In the absence of these factors, avoiding harm from drinking energy drinks with alcohol is not so difficult. As research by scientists shows, the weekly norm for energy drinks is no more than 5 jars, and the daily norm is 1-2 containers. Drinking alcoholic energy drinks is only allowed for adults, both from a medical point of view and from the laws of the Russian Federation.

The effect of these drinks is not based on giving strength to the body through natural processes, but on toning it through stimulation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Stressful effects on a person’s internal organs provoke the release of certain substances into the blood, which contributes to the appearance of hyperactivity and euphoria. Abusing alcoholic energy drinks or taking them contrary to the rules discussed above can:

Bring a person into a constant state of apathy, expressed in loss of strength, increased irritability and the appearance of depression.
Provoke the development of pathologies of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. In the case of taking alcohol-based energy drinks, arrhythmic disturbances, increased heart rate and mental problems are often observed.
Increase the risks associated with excess weight gain and exacerbation of chronic pathologies of the body.

Under unfavorable circumstances, the considered consequences can provoke the worst thing - death. Is it worth risking this for the sake of temporary cheerfulness? I think no.

In general, energy drinks, even if consumed once, are a negative product for any person. An ordinary can of alcoholic drink contains about 80 milligrams of caffeine and 30-35 grams of sugar. The influx of these substances into the body system adversely affects its condition and disrupts natural metabolic processes. Taking this into account, consuming alcoholic energy drinks even with limited frequency is extremely undesirable.

How to avoid potential problems from energy workers

As it has now become clear, energy drinks with alcohol do not bring anything good when taken. The only advantage of these drinks is their encouraging effect. In other aspects, energy is potentially dangerous. Moreover, if taken systematically and incorrectly, such drinks can cause addiction to ethanol, which can lead to full-blown alcoholism.

It is not difficult to neutralize the risks of possible problems from drinking alcoholic energy drinks. In most cases it is enough:

Drink these drinks no more than once a week.
Carefully monitor the amount of daily dose of “energy”. It should not exceed 250-300 milliliters (1-1.5 cans of drink).
Before taking an energy drink, make sure that it will not negatively affect your health (at a minimum, you should exclude the presence of pathologies of the cardiovascular and nervous systems).

It is highly recommended not to abuse energy drinks with alcohol at night. If there is a need to take a drink, then this should be done as early as possible and strictly in the permitted dosages. Otherwise, disruption of the biological rhythm, lack of sleep and other problems are guaranteed.

The problem with alcoholic energy drinks is not only that they are taken incorrectly, but also that they are generally available. Unfortunately, many stores sell such drinks even to children, who certainly do not invigorate with the help of the products. For teenagers and young people in general, energy drinks with alcohol are a way to have fun. However, such fun does not bode well. Even a slight overdose of the drink can not only ruin a child’s health, but even kill him.

Considering all of the above, it is important to state that under no circumstances should minors be allowed to consume alcoholic energy drinks. Not only is any type of alcohol dangerous for their body, but they also cannot control its intake. This state of affairs often leads to the most tragic consequences.