Thanks to the power of science, we now know drinking vodka-red bulls and similar caffeinated alcoholic drinks isn’t a great combination for your well-being.
Professor Richard Van Rijn at Purdue University experimented with high amounts of caffeine mixed with alcohol on adolescent mice to see how their brain chemistry would react. He found, the combination changed the neurochemistry in their brains and overall behavior. The changes in brain chemistry were similar to that of taking cocaine.
The changes were evident, as increased levels of the protein FosB were found in tested mice, which indicated long-term changes in brain chemistry, which is often heightened by hard drugs. Van Rijn told Metro UK the changes make it hard to quit.
‘That is one reason why it is so difficult for drug users to quit because of these lasting changes in the brain.’
“Mice that were exposed to highly caffeinated alcoholic drinks later found cocaine was not as pleasurable. They may then use more cocaine to get the same effect.”
The study shows the dangers of mixing alcohol with highly caffeinated energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster. Ingesting either drink alone is fine (well, as fine as drinking those products can be) but together, it’s a dangerous, potentially toxic combination that can affect your brain chemistry.
Unless you want to simulate how it feels to be a coke addict, perhaps, next time order a vermouth and soda. Otherwise, enjoy the potential frightening side effects.
[Uproxx]
