Energy Drink, Alcohol Combo Can Cause Long Term Problems With Cognitive Function [Study]

Mixing energy drinks and alcohol is dangerous, so one should avoid this combo as it can impair brain function.

Alcohol, Energy Drinks Combo Can Impair Cognitive Function

Drinking alcohol has been a habit for some, but mixing liquor with energy drinks is not recommended. A new study from the University of Cagliari and the University of Catania in Italy learned that mixing alcohol and energy drinks can cause long-term problems with cognitive functions.

For the study, the researchers tested male adolescent rats by giving them alcohol, energy drinks, and a mixture of both. Then, up to 53 days after drinking, various routine studies were conducted to evaluate cognitive function, including behavioral tests and brain imaging.

According to these tests, the animals that drank the mixed drinks exhibited long-lasting alterations in their memory and learning capacities and modifications in the brain's hippocampal region, which is in charge of learning and memory.

The researchers note that nothing is known about the potential long-term effects of consuming these drinks together throughout adolescence on central function, which begs the question of the hazards associated with this practice on brain maturation.

Energy drinks and alcohol are common among young people for a variety of reasons, including late-night study sessions and partying. However, the results of this study suggest that these habits may be harmful in the long run.

The researchers found that drinking alcohol in combination with energy drinks during the peri-adolescent stage results in adaptive hippocampal changes at the electrophysiological and molecular levels, linked to behavioral alterations that are already noticeable during adolescence and continue into adulthood.

Human research is still required to validate these findings, and it is possible that the study did not thoroughly examine the differences in hormone interactions between the sexes.

However, the research indicates legitimate health issues with energy drinks. Since alcohol itself has many negative health effects, it is clear that combining the two in any significant amount isn't the best choice.

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Teenage Girls Died From Alcohol-Energy Drink Mix

In 2018, a 15-year-old girl died after drinking a cocktail of alcohol and energy drink mix. She saw the recipe online and followed it.

The teenager was identified as Paris Kamper. She was found unconscious at home. Her family was very distressed and had a lot of questions about what happened to her. The incident sparked several reactions from experts.

Elizabeth Elliott, a Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney, warned that the incident was a reminder that alcohol can be lethal. However, binge drinking is reportedly common among teenage girls in Australia.

Dr. David Caldicott, an Emergency Consultant and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Medicine at the Australian National University, said the death was preventable if one was informed about the potential harms of alcohol, including the exacerbated harms of mixing them with energy drinks. He noted that the most active ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine, and both caffeine and alcohol are "recreational drugs."

The FDA was aware of premixed and ready-to-drink (RTD) caffeinated alcoholic beverages in the USA due to an increase in emergency presentations, which led to their prohibition in 2010. Although Australia has some of the strictest rules in the world when it comes to energy drinks, the addition of alcohol has made them virtually invisible to scrutiny.