Alcohol and caffeine is a dangerous mix!

Coffee after heavy drinking prevent people from realizing their intoxication, according to a study published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

Mixing these two substances could therefore lead to risky behavior. This mixture of caffeine and alcohol, however, is often consumed in the form of alcoholic energy drinks.

People who drink heavily and believe in mitigating of the effects by drinking coffee put themselves in danger. Consuming caffeine after drinking lots of alcohol, they might forget they are drunk, and adopt risky behaviors, such as driving while intoxicated.

The researcher Thomas Gould, from the American Temple University, has conducted tests on mice. Caffeine has made the rodents more alert but did not erase the learning problems caused by alcohol.

Thomas Gould has given various doses of caffeine and ethanol, pure alcohol to young adult mice. The doses of caffeine were equivalent to six or eight cups of coffee for humans.

He then tested the ability of mice placed in a maze to know which zone "at risk", exposed to unpleasant sounds, avoidance, anxiety, and general locomotion.

The mice who consumed caffeine and alcohol were generally more relaxed than average, but less able to avoid the risk areas of the maze.

The researchers point out that the alcoholic energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine, would make consumers less vigilant without their being aware.

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