Study reveals that mixing Red Bull with alcohol impairs brain function
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A paper titled ' Drinking a mixture of energy drinks and alcohol during adolescence impairs brain function ' was published in the scientific journal Neuropharmacology. The paper was published by a British research team, and the effects of 'drinking a mixture of energy drinks and alcohol' on the brain were confirmed by an experiment using Red Bull.
Mixing energy drinks and alcohol during adolescence impairs brain function: A study of rat hippocampal plasticity - ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002839082400162X
The research team administered either 'water,' '20% ethanol solution,' 'energy drink,' or a mixture of 20% ethanol solution and energy drink to rats aged 28 to 37 days, and analyzed the behavioral and physiological changes after administration. Each solution was administered six times on days 28, 29, 32, 33, 36, and 37 of age, with 10 ml per kg of body weight administered orally each time.
The period from 28 to 37 days after birth corresponds to the adolescence of humans. The amount of ethanol and energy drink administered to the rats is equivalent to 1.5 to 2 drinks (12 g of ethanol) or 2 cans of energy drink in a 70 kg human. Red Bull was used as the energy drink for the experiment.
After administration of each solution was completed, the mice were raised until they were 40-45 days old, 60-65 days old, or 90-95 days old, and then the following analyses were performed.
- Measuring the duration of spontaneous motor activity
- Measuring the time it takes to find an object
- Testing learning, memory, and behavioral flexibility using
・Analyzing brain tissue using electrophysiological techniques
- Measurement of the expression level of mRNA that produces brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the main neurotrophic factor in the brain
・Measure the amount of BDNF and TrkB, which are related to the normal development of neural circuits
As a result of the analysis, the group that drank the mixture of 20% ethanol water solution and energy drink was found to have 'behavioral disorders that continued into adulthood,' 'decreased synaptic plasticity,' and 'changes in the amount of BDNF and TrkB.' These results were different from those observed when '20% ethanol water solution' or 'energy drink' were administered alone. Based on these results, the research team concluded that 'drinking a beverage that combines energy drinks and alcohol during adolescence may have a lasting effect on synaptic plasticity.'
Regarding the act of mixing energy drinks with alcohol, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has warned against it, saying, 'It may increase the amount of alcohol consumed, intensify the effects of alcohol, and lead to alcohol-related health damage and premature death.' The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also warns against mixing energy drinks with alcohol, saying, 'When mixing energy drinks with alcohol, the caffeine in the energy drink masks the functional impairment caused by alcohol, so you may drink more than you intended.'
Regarding excessive caffeine intake: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/syouan/seisaku/risk_analysis/priority/hazard_chem/caffeine.html
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