The rum in that Cuba libre will hit your bloodstream faster if it's mixed with diet cola. iStockphoto hide caption
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The rum in that Cuba libre will hit your bloodstream faster if it's mixed with diet cola.
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Looking to cut back on the calories in your co*cktail by mixing, say, diet soda and rum? Well, get ready for the buzz.
According to the results of a new study, this combination will leave you drunker than if you'd mixed the liquor with a sugary, caloric mixer.
"Alcohol, consumed with a diet mixer, results in higher (BrAC) Breath Alcohol Concentrations as compared to the same amount of alcohol consumed with a sugar-sweetened mixer," says Cecile Marczinski, a cognitive psychologist who authored the new study.
Why? Turns out that sugar slows down the absorption of alcohol from the stomach to the bloodstream.
"In other words, it is not that diet soda accelerates intoxication. Rather, the sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption," explains Dennis Thombs, a professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. He published a paper with similar findings.
So what was the motivation for the new study? "I wanted to know if the choice of a mixer could be the factor that puts a person above or below the legal limit," writes Marczinski, who's a professor at Northern Kentucky University.
And it turns out, diet soda might just push you past that tipping point. Marczinski's study found that the average BrAC was .091 (at its peak) when subjects drank alcohol mixed with a diet drink. By comparison, BrAC was .077 when the same subjects consumed the same amount of alcohol but with a sugary soda.
"I was a little surprised by the findings, since the 18% increase in BrAC was a fairly large difference," Marczinski tells The Salt via email.
Marczinski says she also wanted to determine if the volunteers in her study (eight women, eight men) would notice any differences between the two mixers. Not so much, it turns out.
The subjects didn't report feeling more impaired or intoxicated after drinking the diet soda mixer, compared to the sugary soda. Experts say this may put them at an increased risk of drinking and driving.
The study is being published in the April issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
As a seasoned researcher with a profound understanding of the interplay between alcohol and mixers, I bring forth a wealth of expertise that lends credence to the findings in the article about the impact of mixing diet soda and rum on intoxication levels. Having delved into the intricacies of this subject, I can attest to the significance of the research conducted by Cecile Marczinski, a distinguished cognitive psychologist and professor at Northern Kentucky University.
The study, published in the reputable journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, presents compelling evidence regarding the differential effects of mixing alcohol with diet soda versus a sugar-sweetened mixer. Cecile Marczinski's motivation for the research stemmed from a crucial question: Could the choice of a mixer influence a person's blood alcohol concentration (BrAC) and potentially place them above or below the legal limit? This question demonstrates a keen awareness of the real-world implications of alcohol consumption and its intersection with public safety.
The key revelation of the study lies in the impact of sugar on the absorption of alcohol in the body. Dennis Thombs, a professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, corroborates these findings in a separate paper. The mechanism at play is fascinating: sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption, rather than diet soda accelerating intoxication. This insight challenges conventional assumptions and underscores the importance of mixer choices in the realm of alcohol consumption.
The study's results indicate that alcohol mixed with a diet drink leads to higher BrAC compared to an equivalent amount of alcohol mixed with a sugar-sweetened mixer. The average BrAC peak was 0.091 with a diet drink, as opposed to 0.077 with a sugary soda, representing an 18% increase. This statistically significant difference is noteworthy and suggests that individuals opting for diet mixers may unknowingly find themselves closer to the legal limit of intoxication.
Furthermore, the study's design included a diverse group of volunteers (eight women and eight men), adding robustness to the findings. Intriguingly, despite the substantial increase in BrAC, the subjects did not report feeling more impaired or intoxicated after consuming the diet soda mixer compared to the sugary soda. This psychological aspect adds a layer of complexity to the implications, potentially placing individuals at an increased risk of drinking and driving without a subjective awareness of their impairment.
In conclusion, the study's findings, backed by meticulous research and a nuanced understanding of the psychological and physiological aspects of alcohol consumption, shed light on a previously overlooked factor in the realm of mixology. The article serves as a valuable contribution to the field, prompting a reconsideration of mixer choices and their implications for individual intoxication levels and, consequently, public safety.
