Partygoers and night owls may want to reconsider their drink choices, as a study conducted by Purdue University reveals that Jägerbombs and other caffeinated energy drinks mixed with alcohol can have effects on the body similar to cocaine.
The 2016 study sheds light on the potential dangers of combining energy drinks with alcohol, highlighting significant impacts on both the health and behavior of lab mice. According to Richard van Rijn, an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology at Purdue University, the mice exhibited physical and neurochemical changes comparable to those induced by cocaine. The report emphasizes that these energy drinks, often marketed to adolescents and containing up to 10 times the caffeine of soda, pose health risks, particularly when consumed with alcohol during adolescence.
Van Rijn points out that the combined effect of the two substances pushes the mice beyond a threshold, resulting in behavioral changes and alterations in neurochemistry not observed when consuming each substance individually. Repeated exposure to caffeinated alcohol made the mice more active, a response similar to the effects of cocaine consumption.
The study also identified increased levels of certain proteins associated with long-term changes in neurochemistry, mirroring patterns seen in human subjects who had abused cocaine or morphine. Van Rijn notes that such lasting changes in the brain contribute to the difficulty drug users face in quitting.
Moreover, the research suggests that regular consumption of Jägerbombs and similar beverages may heighten the likelihood of developing a desire to use cocaine, potentially leading to drug abuse later in life. Mice exposed to highly caffeinated alcoholic drinks showed reduced pleasure from cocaine, prompting them to use more of the substance to achieve the desired effect. This alteration in brain function makes individuals more susceptible to abusing natural or pleasurable substances as adults, according to van Rijn.
