Madeleine Hull
There is evidence to suggest that diet drinks can indeed make you drunk faster. A study by Northern Kentucky University found that the average breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) was 0.091 when subjects drank alcohol mixed with a diet drink, compared to 0.077 when the same subjects consumed the same amount of alcohol with a sugary drink. The sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption, while the absence of sugar in diet drinks means the alcohol enters the bloodstream faster. This means that even though you may not feel more drunk, your blood alcohol level is higher, which can put you at risk of drinking and driving.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Do diet drinks make you drunk faster? | Yes, according to multiple studies. |
| Reason | The sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption in the body. |
| Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) with regular soda | 0.077 |
| Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) with diet soda | 0.091 |
| Difference in BrAC | 18% |
| Participants' perception of drunkenness | Participants reported feeling the same level of drunkenness with both types of mixers. |
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What You'll Learn
Diet drinks may cause higher intoxication
Several studies have found that mixing alcohol with diet soda may lead to higher levels of intoxication compared to when alcohol is mixed with regular soda. This phenomenon has been observed in both lab and field settings, with participants' breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) or blood alcohol content (BAC) levels being significantly higher when consuming diet mixers.
One study, conducted by Cecile Marczinski and Amy Stamates of Northern Kentucky University, found that participants who mixed their alcohol with a diet drink had an average BrAC of .091 at its peak, while those who consumed the same amount of alcohol with a sugary soda had a BrAC of .077. This difference of 0.014 may seem small, but it translates to an 18% increase in intoxication and can be the difference between driving legally and being charged with a DUI.
The reason behind this effect lies in the way our body processes alcohol. Sugar in regular soda slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream. Essentially, the sugar makes your stomach empty more slowly, giving your body more time to metabolize the alcohol. On the other hand, the absence of sugar in diet drinks means there is nothing to slow down the absorption of alcohol, leading to faster intoxication.
It is important to note that participants in these studies did not report feeling more impaired or intoxicated when consuming diet mixers. This lack of subjective perception of increased intoxication can be dangerous, as it may lead people to engage in risky behaviors such as drinking and driving, even when their blood alcohol levels are above the legal limit.
While the focus has primarily been on the comparison between diet and regular soda as mixers, it is worth noting that the choice of mixer in general can significantly impact intoxication levels. The rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the body can be influenced by various factors, including the presence of sugar, protein, and starch in the mixer. Therefore, it is not just the choice between diet and regular soda that matters, but also the specific type of mixer used.
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Sugar slows alcohol absorption
It is a well-known fact that drinking alcohol on an empty stomach gets you drunk faster. This is because there is little to no food in the stomach to slow down the passage of alcohol into the small intestine and then the bloodstream. Similarly, the sugar in regular soda or soft drinks acts as food in the stomach, slowing down the rate of alcohol absorption.
A study conducted by Cecile Marczinski and Amy Stamates of Northern Kentucky University found that drinking alcohol with a diet mixer resulted in higher breath alcohol concentrations (BrAC) compared to the same amount of alcohol consumed with a sugar-sweetened mixer. The average BrAC was 0.091 when subjects drank alcohol mixed with a diet drink, while it was 0.077 when the same subjects consumed the same amount of alcohol but with a sugary soda. This difference of 0.014 is the difference between driving legally and being charged with a DUI in many jurisdictions.
Another study, published in the journal 'Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research', found that the diet soda group got about 20% more intoxicated than those who mixed regular soda with liquor. The researchers attributed this to the rate of digestion, with the diet soda mixture passing quickly through the stomach and putting alcohol into the bloodstream faster.
TikTok creator Dr. Karan Raj also confirmed this theory in one of his videos. He explained that the sugar in regular Coke makes your stomach empty more slowly into the small intestine, thereby slowing down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.
Therefore, it is clear that sugar does indeed slow down alcohol absorption, and it is best to avoid diet mixers if you want to slow down the rate of intoxication.
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Diet mixers may increase drunk driving risk
It is a well-known fact that drinking alcohol on an empty stomach gets you drunk faster. This is because there is nothing in your stomach to slow down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into your bloodstream. Similarly, the sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption, whereas a diet mixer does not. This means that the alcohol enters your bloodstream faster, and you will get drunk quicker.
A study by Cecile Marczinski and Amy Stamates of Northern Kentucky University found that drinking diet soda with liquor causes breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) to rise more quickly than if the same amount of alcohol was mixed with regular soda. The study found that the average BrAC was .091 (at its peak) when subjects drank alcohol mixed with a diet drink. By comparison, BrAC was .077 when the same subjects consumed the same amount of alcohol but with a sugary soda. This difference of 0.014 may seem small, but it is, in many jurisdictions, the difference between driving legally and being charged with a DUI.
Another study, published in the journal 'Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research', found that diet soda groups got about 20% more intoxicated than those who mixed regular soda with liquor. The researchers also found that the participants' reaction times were slower, and that they did not feel more impaired, despite their higher blood alcohol levels. This may put them at an increased risk of drinking and driving, as people often base their decision to drive on how drunk they feel.
Therefore, it is clear that diet mixers can increase drunk driving risk. This is because the sugar in regular mixers slows down the absorption of alcohol, whereas diet mixers do not have this effect. This leads to higher and quicker peaks in blood alcohol concentration, which can push people past the legal limit without them realising.
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Diet mixers worse for health
It is a well-known fact that alcohol is not healthy. To mitigate some of its harmful effects, it is recommended to choose mixers that not only make alcohol more palatable but also make your drink a bit healthier.
Diet drinks make you drunk faster
Several studies have found that mixing alcohol with a diet mixer leads to higher breath alcohol concentrations (BrAC) compared to the same amount of alcohol consumed with a sugar-sweetened mixer. This is because the sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption, while the absence of sugar in diet drinks means that the alcohol passes quickly through the stomach and into the bloodstream.
Health implications
Higher blood alcohol levels can be harmful to the brain and the liver. A study measuring alcohol levels in people leaving bars or nightclubs found that those who drank alcohol mixed with a diet drink were more impaired. Importantly, the subjects in the study did not report feeling more impaired or intoxicated after drinking the diet soda mixer, which may put them at an increased risk of drinking and driving.
Healthier alternatives
If you are looking for healthier mixers to add to your drink, there are several options that can help mitigate the harmful effects of alcohol. These include:
- Low-calorie lemonade, such as Top Hat's Sugar-Free Sun Goddess Lemonade, which uses monk fruit instead of sugar
- Light tonic water, such as Q Mixers' Light Tonic Water, which uses erythritol to keep the calorie and sugar content low
- Low-calorie orange juice, which can be made by watering down regular orange juice and provides vitamin C, which is often deficient in heavy drinkers
- Iced green tea, which contains antioxidant-rich polyphenols that can help protect the liver from alcohol-induced damage
- Lemon or lime juice, which provides a juicy flavor for half the calories and sugar of other mixers
- Watermelon, which is made up of more than 90% water and adds a dose of fiber and lycopene, an antioxidant with anti-cancer properties
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Diet mixers may impair judgement
It has been found that diet mixers may impair judgement more than regular soda mixers. This is because the sugar in regular soda slows down the rate of alcohol absorption in the body. The sugar in regular soda makes the stomach empty more slowly into the small intestine, thus slowing down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. This is the same principle as why people tend to get drunk faster on an empty stomach.
A study conducted by Cecile Marczinski and Amy Stamates of Northern Kentucky University found that drinking diet soda with liquor causes breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) to rise more quickly than if the same amount of alcohol was mixed with regular soda. The study included 16 participants who were tested as part of the experiment. Those who drank diet soda as a mixer had alcohol levels that increased more quickly and peaked at a higher level of 0.091 grams per 210 liters, compared to 0.077 grams per 210 liters for those who drank regular soda. This difference can mean the difference between driving legally and being charged with a DUI.
Another study, published in the journal "Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research", found that college students who drank vodka with diet soda got more intoxicated, faster, than those who mixed vodka with regular soda. The diet soda group was about 20% more intoxicated than the regular soda group. The researchers found that the diet soda mixture passed quickly through the stomach, putting alcohol into the bloodstream faster.
It is important to note that the participants in the studies did not report feeling more impaired or intoxicated after drinking the diet soda mixer compared to the sugary soda. This may put them at an increased risk of drinking and driving, as they may feel that they are below the legal limit when they are actually above it.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, according to a study conducted by Northern Kentucky University, participants who consumed alcohol with a diet mixer had higher breath alcohol concentrations (BrAC) than those who consumed the same amount of alcohol with a sugar-sweetened mixer.
The sugar in regular sodas slows down the rate of alcohol absorption into the bloodstream. The diet soda mixture passes quickly through the stomach, putting alcohol into our bloodstream faster.
Mixing alcohol with diet drinks can put you at an increased risk of drinking and driving as the participants in the study were unaware of the difference in their intoxication levels. It is also worse for your health and can be harmful to your brain and liver.
Many factors contribute to how fast you get drunk, including the amount of food in your stomach, your diet, and the type of alcohol you are consuming.
