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Why Diet Beverages + Alcohol Make You Drunk Faster

Posted On: February 20th, 2013   |   Posted by: Luftman, Heck & Associates LLP

Next time you opt for a cocktail, saving calories by choosing a diet beverage make actually make you more intoxicated. Sugar-laden mixers might be a better choice, particularly if you’re going to be getting behind the wheel.

A new study written by Cecile Marczinski at Northern Kentucky University indicates that “alcohol, consumed with a diet mixer, results in higher breath alcohol concentrations as compared to the same amount of alcohol consumed with a sugar-sweetened mixer.”

Sugar may be full of calories, but it’s responsible for decreasing the rate at which alcohol enters your bloodstream.

The New York Daily News writes further on the same study conducted by Marczinski that the individuals sampled who mixed with diet soda actually had breath alcohol concentrations that were 18% percent higher than those who had mixed drinks with regular soda.

It’s not the diet soda that makes you intoxicated more quickly, but the fact that there is no sugar. Sugar works in much the same way that food does, by delaying stomach emptying.

If you’re going to consume alcohol, following simple age old wisdom of not drinking on an empty stomach is a smart move. Consuming Proteins, fats and dense carbohydrates slows down how quickly alcohol affects you. Having food in your stomach also protects against irritation and vomiting.

The next time you choose a diet mixer or haven’t eaten as much before drinking, be cautious that you will reach the legal limit of .08 % Blood Alcohol Concentration more quickly.

Facing DUI charges in Columbus or OVI charges? If you are in need of legal assistance, contact the Columbus criminal defense attorneys at Luftman, Heck & Associates today.



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