Booze, Energy Drinks, Casual Sex Combo Common in College: Study

HealthDay – 1 hr 7 mins ago MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. college students who drink caffeinated energy drinks mixed with alcohol are more likely to have casual sex, which is often risky sex, a new study finds.

Drinks such as Red Bull & vodka, and Jagerbombs (energy drinks combined with a shot of Jagermeister), rank among the best-selling mixed drinks in bars and clubs serving college-age adults, according to background information in the report.

The study, published online in the Journal of Caffeine Research, included about 650 students at a large public university. Their ages ranged from 18 to 40, but more than 60 percent of them were younger than 21.

The University at Buffalo researchers found that more than 29 percent of the sexually active participants said they had consumed alcohol mixed with energy drinks in the previous month.

During their most recent sexual encounter, about 45 percent of the participants had a casual partner, 25 percent were drunk, and 44 percent said they did not use a condom. Those who reported drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks were more likely to have casual sex and/or to be drunk during their most recent sexual encounter.

However, students who drank alcohol mixed with energy drinks were no less likely than nondrinkers to have used a condom during their most recent sexual encounter.

The findings suggest that alcohol/energy drink mixes may play a role in the "hook-up culture" that exists on many college campuses, according to study author Kathleen E. Miller, a senior research scientist at the University at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions, in Buffalo, N.Y.

She noted that having casual sex or sex while intoxicated can lead to problems such as unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual assault and depression. Previous research has linked energy drinks with dangerous behaviors such as impaired driving, binge drinking and fighting.

"Mixing energy drinks with alcohol can lead to unintentional overdrinking, because the caffeine makes it harder to assess your own level of intoxication," Miller said in a university news release.

She noted that energy drinks mixed with alcohol "have stronger priming effects than alcohol alone. In other words, they increase the craving for another drink, so that you end up drinking more overall."

The research doesn't prove that drinking energy drinks with alcohol causes drunkenness and promiscuity, Miller said. But she hopes the findings lead to safety legislation or educational campaigns.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about caffeinated alcoholic beverages.

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High Fructose Death Syrup Causes Low Energy and Fatty Liver

It is a testament to Pavlov and his dogs that the average American is dumb enough to consume 35 pounds of high fructose death syrup every year.  The Corn Refiners Association loves to say that their death syrup is no different than any other sugar.  Two recent studies prove that is not true and also prove that the death syrup uniquely causes fatty liver disease, which is a key marker of metabolic malfunction.  Even the FDA is onto the charade, denying a petition from the Corn Refiners Association to change food labels from “high fructose corn syrup” to innocent sounding “corn sugar.”

The public has a great deal of confusion on this topic because fructose is also the sugar naturally contained in fruit.  The new information helps explain why excess consumption of high fructose corn syrup creates metabolic problems; it turns one’s liver fatty and increases the risk for becoming a “metabolic cripple” when higher levels of fructose intake continue as problems are occurring.

Clearly, the preferred intake of fructose is from fruit (never high levels of fruit juice).  Fruit is a comprehensive nutritional package that also contains flavonoid antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and fiber – along with a modest amount of fructose.  In comparison, most manufactured products containing large amounts of high fructose corn syrup have little nutritional value. Instead, they contain a branded flavor that is full of addictive chemical stimulants.  The goal for manufacturers is to create brand addiction, resulting in the powerful subconscious urge to consume more of their brand, which leads to massive overconsumption of fructose. 

The interesting thing about fructose is that unlike other sugar molecules it actually requires ATP (energy) to be metabolized.  At the same time the fructose molecule could potentially become energy as it is metabolized, leading to increased ATP synthesis.  When healthy people eat fruit, this happens.  Unfortunately, consuming high fructose corn syrup in excess is like flooding your engine with gas.  Your liver simply conks out.  Energy is actually depleted.  And enzymes are activated that turn on fat buildup in the liver while elevating uric acid to a point that it causes free radical damage and inflammation.  This is a fast path to obesity, fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Two studies show the results of high fructose corn syrup intake.  The first is an animal study that analyzed how fructose is metabolized.  It shows that fructose is first acted upon by the fructokinase enzyme, which adds energy (ATP) to the fructose molecule so that it can proceed in metabolism.  As it turns out there are two forms of this enzyme, fructokinase A and C.  Fructokinase A operates around the body and has a low affinity for fructose, meaning that when eaten in moderation this enzyme will slowly and steadily help metabolize the fructose.  Fructokinase C is highly concentrated in the liver and loves fructose.

These researchers showed that if both enzymes were knocked out in mice then they couldn’t develop metabolic syndrome from any amount of fructose metabolism because none of the fructose was metabolized.  Then they showed that mice lacking the A form rapidly developed insulin resistance, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome.  They went on to show that the A form balances and protects against the potential adverse effects of the C form, but only at moderate intake.  At high intake the A form, which has low affinity for fructose, is no longer able to maintain balance and the C form goes wild.  This study is extremely important as it is the first to show this precise mechanism explaining why high intake of fructose is problematic.

The next study involved human type 2 diabetic patients and their ability to metabolize fructose.  The researchers used less than 15 grams of fructose per day to define low and more than 15 grams per day to define high fructose intake.  Please note that the average American consumes about 42 grams per day to get to 35 pounds a year. 

Diabetic patients who consumed more than 15 grams of fructose had lower stores of liver ATP, meaning liver energy function was compromised as predicted by the above animal study mechanism.  Furthermore, a fructose challenge resulted in further decreased energy production, meaning that the people were metabolic cripples when it now came to the fructose they were consuming in high amounts.  The degree of the fructose metabolism problem predicted fatty liver disease and its severity, as well as higher than normal levels of uric acid, which is highly inflammatory to the liver and general circulation. 

High fructose corn syrup is the fastest way to get large and excess amounts of fructose into your body.  It is clear that this compromises your liver’s energetic function, which will take its toll sooner or later.  The first sign of a problem is weight gain.  If not corrected, liver damage and malfunction follow, locking in metabolic disease.  This is not a pretty picture.

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Effect of three common diets on energy expenditure following weight loss detailed

ScienceDaily (June 26, 2012) — In an examination of the effect on energy expenditure and components of the metabolic syndrome of 3 types of commonly consumed diets following weight loss, decreases in resting energy expenditure and total energy expenditure were greatest with a low-fat diet, intermediate with a low-glycemic index diet, and least with a very low-carbohydrate diet, suggesting that a low-fat diet may increase the risk for weight regain compared to the other diets, according to preliminary research published in the June 27 issue of JAMA.

See Also:Health & MedicineDiet and Weight LossObesityFitnessNutritionCholesterolTriglyceridesReferenceSouth Beach dietZone dietGlycemic indexDetox diet

"Many people can lose weight for a few months, but most have difficulty maintaining clinically significant weight loss over the long term. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006), only 1 in 6 overweight and obese adults report ever having maintained weight loss of at least 10 percent for 1 year," according to background information in the article. One explanation for the poor long-term outcome is that weight loss elicits biological adaptations -- specifically a decline in energy expenditure and an increase in hunger -- that promote weight. According to the authors, the effect of dietary composition on energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance has not been studied.

Cara B. Ebbeling, Ph.D., of Children's Hospital Boston, and colleagues conducted a study to evaluate the effects of 3 weight-loss maintenance diets on energy expenditure, hormones, and components of the metabolic syndrome. The study, conducted between June 2006 and June 2010, included 21 overweight and obese young adults. After achieving 10 percent to 15 percent weight loss while consuming a run-in diet, participants consumed an isocaloric low-fat diet (60 percent of energy from carbohydrate, 20 percent from fat, 20 percent from protein; high glycemic load), low-glycemic index diet (40 percent from carbohydrate, 40 percent from fat, and 20 percent from protein; moderate glycemic load), and very low-carbohydrate diet (10 percent from carbohydrate, 60 percent from fat, and 30 percent from protein; low glycemic load) in random order, each for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measured was resting energy expenditure (REE), with secondary outcomes of total energy expenditure (TEE), hormone levels, and metabolic syndrome components.

The researchers found that energy expenditure during weight-loss maintenance differed significantly among the 3 diets. The decrease in REE from pre-weight-loss levels, measured by indirect calorimetry in the fasting state, was greatest for the low-fat diet (average relative to baseline, -205 kcal/d), intermediate with the low-glycemic index diet (-166 kcal/d), and least for the very low-carbohydrate diet (-138 kcal/d). The decrease in TEE also differed significantly by diet (average -423 kcal/d for low fat; -297 kcal/d for low glycemic index; and -97 kcal/d for very low carbohydrate).

"Hormone levels and metabolic syndrome components also varied during weight maintenance by diet (leptin; 24-hour urinary cortisol; indexes of peripheral and hepatic insulin sensitivity; high-density lipoprotein

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Energy and Sports Drinks Eat Away at Teeth, Study Finds

HealthDay – 3 hrs ago WEDNESDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Sports and energy drinks are causing irreversible damage to the teeth of teens and young adults in the United States, the authors of a new study claim.

High acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of teeth, the researchers contend in the May/June issue of the journal General Dentistry.

"Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are 'better' for them than soda," study author Poonam Jain said in a news release from Academy of General Dentistry, which publishes the journal.

However, "most of these patients are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid," Jain said.

For the study, the researchers analyzed acidity levels in 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks. They found that acidity levels varied widely between brands and even flavors of the same brand. The effect on teeth of these acidity levels were assessed by immersing samples of human tooth enamel in each beverage for 15 minutes, followed by immersion in artificial saliva for two hours.

The cycle was repeated four times a day for five days, to simulate the exposure of teeth in teens and young adults who drink one of these beverages every few hours.

Damage to the tooth enamel was evident after five days, the researchers reported, and energy drinks caused twice as much damage as sports drinks.

Damage to tooth enamel is irreversible, the experts noted. Without the protection of enamel, teeth become overly sensitive and are more likely to decay and develop cavities.

The American Beverage Association (ABA), which represents the beverage industry, took issue with the study.

"This study was not conducted on humans, and in no way mirrors reality," the group said in a statement released Wednesday. "The authors used slices of tooth enamel samples from extracted molars, and then placed them in petri dishes of liquid for extended periods of time. People do not keep any kind of liquid in their mouths for 15-minute intervals over five-day periods."

The association added that the lab experiments could not mimic the environment of the human mouth, where saliva helps neutralize any acidity from food and drink.

The ABA also noted that other factors besides exposure to food or drinks -- things such as dental hygiene, lifestyle and genetics -- also influence tooth erosion.

According to the dentistry academy, an estimated 30 percent to 50 percent of U.S. teenagers consume energy drinks and as many as 62 percent consume at least one sports drink per day.

People "don't realize that something as seemingly harmless as a sports or energy drink can do a lot of damage to their teeth," Jennifer Bone, a spokeswoman for the academy, said in the news release.

She advised patients to minimize their consumption of sports and energy drinks, and also suggested that they chew sugar-free gum or rinse their month with water after consuming the drinks.

"Both tactics increase saliva flow, which naturally helps to return the acidity levels in the mouth to normal," she explained.

After consuming sports or energy drinks, patients should wait at least an hour before they brush their teeth. Otherwise, they will spread acid onto the tooth surfaces and increase the erosive action, Bone said.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers tips to keep your teeth and mouth healthy.

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