Diet cold drinks are an easy way cut calories, BUT as you diligently cut those calories in your favourite drink, you inadvertently load up the alcohol levels.
You’re watching your weight, so you’re always looking for ways to cut calories, without cramping your style.
One way to do this – is to substitute the sugar loaded beverages, with a diet equivalent. Avoiding the enormous sugar dump, is a good health practice.
But, you might want to think twice, if you’re using the diet cold drink, as a drink mixer. You’re avoiding the sugar, but amplifying the alcohol dump.
And an alcohol dump can leave you whoozie and in all kinds of trouble.
Downing a storm
Drinking on an empty stomach is a NO NO.
The reason, no food in the tummy causes the alcohol to whoosh through superquick.
And quick, means the level of alcohol rises – SHARPLY.
And a sharp rise in alcohol can overwhelm brain cells – impairing their ability to put two and two together.
But, researchers from UNT Health Science Centre have discovered, that food is not the only factor which influences how quickly alcohol gets into the system.
The mixer matters.
Mixing up a storm
Inspired by personal observations and concerned about the dangers of drinking and driving, a team of researchers, decided to investigate what happens when alcohol and artificial sweetners, mix in a drink.
Sixteen volunteers, 8 female and 8 male, signed up to hang out at the “Laboratory Pub”. Each volunteer enjoyed a vodka and something, on different occasions.
The amount of vodka served was always the same and based on the size of the participant. They always received 1.9 ml/kg of vodka. The something was what changed.
The somethings included
- 3.94 ml/kg Squirt (a fizzy cold drink) – which would be sugar laden
- 3.94 ml/kg of Diet Squirt – which would be full of an artificial sweetner
Experiencing the storm
The participants were asked “How they felt”, specifically if they felt
- Intoxicated i.e. whoozie
- Fatigued
- Impaired
- Able to drive
Obviously all these are subjective, so to put a scientific stamp on the whole thing, the blood alcohol concentration was also assessed.
Artificial sweetner makes for MORE WHOOZE
The participants were clueless – they felt pretty much the same level of “happiness” with all three drinks.
But the blood alcohol levels suggested there was a difference….
When the participants saved their figures by adding diet drinks to the mix, their blood alcohol levels increased.
And…. surprise, surprise, their behaviour decreased.
No, it was not so bad they danced naked on the bar counter, but their reaction times were a lot slower and behaviour a little more goofy, than with the other drinks.
For many, they went from being “below” the limit, to “above’ the limit. Ouch !
How zat ?
At this stage – it is still a bit of mystery.
The research team think it might have something to do with gastric emptying speed, the presence of REAL sugar slows things down – allowing the alcohol to trickle in, as opposed to flood in.
No sugar, sees the beverage speed on through.
For what it is worth, most experts believe sugar ladened beverages buzz through pretty snappily, so there might be more to the story than slower gastric emptying.
But the why is not that important, the take home here is, IT HAPPENS.
Drinking and driving just got more complicated
Drinking and driving is NOT COOL. Alcohol kills, maims and destroys.
But, being responsible can still get you in trouble.
As you diligently count calories, you inadvertently load up the alcohol.
So…. think, before you drink.
PS. And be very wary of mixing your drinks with caffeine loaded beverages – the alcohol + caffeine combination can be deadly.
The shape of your drinks glass determines if you get tipsy
So when you order that whiskey and lemonade be sure to ask for it in a straight sided glass if you want to avoid spending the night on the floor.
Those weekend beers are making you insulin resistant
Your beer belly is not being caused by a calorie problem per se, even if you’re eating too much and exercising too little, the problem is routed in the alcohol
Why partying in more than one place doesn’t increase the FUN
You’re ready for a night on the town – FUN, FUN, FUN. To enjoy the FUN without compromising our your body chemistry, try to have ALL the FUN in one location.
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