Besides additives and various stimulants, energy drinks include sugar and a large amount of caffeine. The popularity of energy drinks has increased, especially among adults. However, there is a question that is bothering a large number of consumers. The main concern of those consumers is which of the following is true about energy drinks and mixers.
- a sweet taste can hide the taste of alcohol
- caffeine helps keep the person aware of how intoxicated he or she is
- carbonation generally slows the rate of alcohol absorption
- all of the above?
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Correct Answer
Option number 1 is the correct answer.
Why is Option 1 the Correct Answer?
Sugar is the main ingredient of almost every beverage available on the market. Various studies have shown the presence of large amounts of sugar in these drinks. For instance, a single serving of Red Bull and Monster has 27g of sugar. In contrast, Full Throttle has a surprising amount of 57g.
It is well known that alcohol has a sour or bitter taste. Taste is the deciding factor that will either urge the person to ingest or stop the person from ingesting. Unsurprisingly, a person can ingest spoiled food if the taste is good and he does not know that the food is spoiled. Despite people wanting to experience the after-effects of consuming alcohol, they are not into drinking it directly. Instead, they tend to mix it with sugar-containing drinks, such as energy drinks, to fade away the bitterness.
How are Remaining Options Incorrect?
It is clear which of the following is true about energy drinks and mixers. But do you know why the remaining options are incorrect? As for caffeine and awareness of intoxication, there is no evidence that caffeine helps a person to be aware of intoxication levels. Instead, studies have shown that caffeine can impair one’s feelings of intoxication.
According to other research studies, consuming caffeine decreased perceived intoxication levels. This is extremely dangerous because the person can opt to perform tasks that he should not be. For instance, a highly intoxicated person might choose to drive a car on a highway, jeopardizing people’s precious life. As caffeine impairs his perception of intoxication, he might consume more alcohol. This would only make them susceptible to serious adverse health issues.
As for carbonation and rate of alcohol absorption, studies have shown something else. There is no research-based evidence that carbonation decreases the alcohol absorption rate. A study has shown that carbonation instead increases the rate of alcohol absorption.
Mixing Energy Drinks and Mixers
Alcohol consumers generally mix different substances in the alcohol to hide the smell and bitter taste. The most common mixers used are as follows.
- Energy drinks
- Ice tea
- Sparkling water
- Cranberry juice
- Aerated drinks
Out of these mixers, a study has shown that almost 71% of adults use energy drinks with alcohol as mixers. The same study illustrates that mixing energy drinks with alcohol is more problematic. With this, the consumers or drinkers will end up ingesting even more alcohol. The intensity of health degradation can be estimated by knowing that consuming only energy drinks all alone has severe health complications. Sleep dissatisfaction, headaches, stomachaches, obesity, and type 2 diabetes are just the start of the ever-going list.
