In this Article

• What is alcohol?
• How is alcohol made?
• How is alcohol metabolized?
• Does alcohol impact your weight?
• How does alcohol affect your blood sugar?
• Does alcohol contribute to vitamin and mineral deficiencies?
• Do beverages with artificial sweeteners react with alcohol?
• Are there health benefits to consuming alcohol?
• Which alcohol is best to consume?
• Are the drinks with caffeine and alcohol safe?
• How much alcohol can you safely consume?
• Alcohol and Nutrition Index

Are the drinks with caffeine and alcohol safe?

Alcoholic energy drinks are the new drink of choice among younger drinkers. The trend began when energy drinks were mixed with alcohol. Companies responded by producing energy drinks mixed with alcohol. The beer-and-caffeine-combination drinks are raising a lot of concerns. The alcohol content is considerably higher than that of beer alone. A study done on 26 young people consuming an energy drink and vodka showed that they reported feeling less headache, dry mouth, and impairment after this drink than they did after drinking alcohol alone. However, tests measuring coordination and visual reaction showed they were just as impaired. One company was forced to stop selling their caffeine and alcohol drinks after a great deal of criticism. Spykes contained 12% alcohol, came in fruit and chocolate flavors, and were sold in 2-ounce bottles that were easily concealed in pockets. The argument over the flavors being geared toward young drinkers and the safety of the high alcohol and caffeine content proved too much for the company. The herbal components of the energy drinks could prove to contribute to more problems. More research needs to be done to determine the safety of these types of alcoholic drinks.

How much can you safely consume?

Alcohol is clearly not essential in our diet and can end up causing considerable problems. Here are some dietary guidelines for alcohol consumption:

• Those who choose to drink alcoholic beverages should do so sensibly and in moderation—defined as the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.



• Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed by some individuals, including those who cannot restrict their alcohol intake, children and adolescents, individuals taking medications that can interact with alcohol, those with specific medical conditions, and women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, those who are pregnant and lactating women.



• Alcoholic beverages should be avoided by individuals engaging in activities that require attention, skill, or coordination, such as driving or operating machinery.

The reason that people consume alcohol is clear, but the cost of this consumption is not. Alcohol is toxic to our bodies, and the cost can be irreversible when intake exceeds recommended levels. The damage is not limited to alcoholics, so everyone who consumes alcohol needs to pay attention to how much they are drinking, what they are drinking, and when they are doing so.

References:

American Counsel for Drug Education

American Diabetes Association

Bassus, S. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. May 2004;vol 28(5):pp 786-791.

Caton, S. J. Physiol Behav, Mar 2004;vol 81(1):pp 51-58.

Caton, S. J. Physiol Behav, Mar 2005;vol 84(3):pp 371-377.

Center for Disease Control

Denke, M. A. Am J Med Sci, Nov 2000;vol 320(5):pp 320-326.

Duyuff, R. L. Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2006.

Garrow, J. S. Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Churchill Livingstone, 2000.

Haber, P. S. Alcohol Clin Exp Res, Apr 2000;vol 24(4):pp 407-408.

Herbert, V. Total Nutrition, St. Martin's Griffin, 1995.

Hetherington, M. M. Physiol Behav, Oct 2001;vol 74(3):pp 283-289.

Hillman, R. A. Annu Rev Med, 1982;vol 33:pp 345-354.

Keng-Lian, W. Am J Med, Sep 2006;vol 119(9):pp 802-804.

Klatsky, A. L. Am J Epidemiol, Sep 2003;vol 158(6):pp 585-595.

Kondo, K. Biofactors, 2004;vol 22(1-4):pp 303-310.

Laitinen, K. N Engl J Med, Mar 1991;vol 324(11):pp 721-727.

Laufer, E. M. Eur J Clin Nutr, Nov 2004:vol 58(11):pp 1518-1524.

Leo, M. A. Am J Clin Nut, June 1999;vol 69(6):pp 1071-1085.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Rimm, E. Epidemiology, Jul 2001:vol 12(4):pp 380-382.

Sizer, F. Nutrition Concepts and Controversies, Wadsworth, 2003.

Snoek, H. M. Am J Clin Nutr, Oct 2004;vol 80(4):pp 823-831.

Tolstrup, J. BMI, May 2006;vol 332(7552):pp 1244-1248.

Tolstrup, J. Curr Atheroscler Rep, Aug 2007;vol 92(2):pp 116-24.

Wardlaw, G. M. Perspectives in Nutrition, McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Yeomans, M. R. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, Nov 2003;vol 6(6):pp 639-644.

Zakhari, S. Alcohol Res Health, Apr 2006;vol 29(4):pp 245-254.