Two middle-aged friends, Xiao Li and Xiao Wang, are enjoying the sunshine of a weekend afternoon at a café. While savoring the aroma of coffee, they chatted about their recent lives. Xiao Li suddenly asked: "Do you know, I recently heard an interesting topic about alcohol and coffee can be drunk together, but what will happen?".”
Xiao Wang frowned, thought for a moment and replied, "Yes?"I've heard similar things, but I've never quite understood why some people like to mix alcohol and coffee. It seems a bit strange. ”
The gladiatorial battle of the central nervous system:
Alcohol and coffee are competitors to the central nervous system. Alcohol is a substance that inhibits nervous activity, it can make a person feel relaxed and reduce alertness. On the contrary, caffeine is a stimulant that increases the activity of the nervous system, making people feel more awake and alert.
Differences in metabolic speed:
Alcohol and caffeine are also metabolized at different rates in the body. Alcohol is metabolized relatively slowly, and it usually takes several hours to be completely excreted from the body. Caffeine is metabolized rapidly and usually disappears within a few hours.
This means:When alcohol and coffee are consumed at the same time, both substances are present in the body at the same time, and they affect each other。Alcohol may reduce the stimulating effects of caffeine, while caffeine may prolong the duration of the alcohol's action.
This interaction can cause people to underestimate their level of intoxication and increase the risk of drunk driving, as you may think you can still drive, but you are not actually safe.
1.Risk of alcohol poisoning.
When alcohol is ingested with coffee, caffeine can mislead your alertness and make you feel like you're not drunk. This can cause you to consume more alcohol, increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning. For example, imagine you're chatting with your friends over a coffee cocktail at a friend's party. You may feel energetic due to the caffeine stimulus and then unconsciously increase your alcohol consumption. As a result, you may exceed your safe alcohol intake, leading to symptoms of poisoning such as vomiting, headaches, and even life-threatening.
2.Cardiovascular system effects.
The combination of alcohol and caffeine may also have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system. Alcohol can cause blood pressure to rise, while caffeine increases the heart rate. When both are ingested at the same time, it can lead to a greater burden on the heart and vascular system. For example, one study found that people who drank both alcohol and coffee were more likely to have irregular heartbeats, which is especially alarming for middle-aged and older people.
3.Sleep disturbances.
If you drink caffeinated beverages at night, such as coffee or energy drinks, and then drink alcohol at night, it may cause sleep disturbances. Caffeine can interfere with your sleep cycle and make it difficult for you to fall asleep. And while alcohol may make you feel tired, it can also disrupt your deep sleep, causing you to wake up feeling exhausted the next morning. This knock-on effect can have a negative impact on your quality of life.