What do cold showers, hard slaps and hot coffee have in common? They have all been touted as cures for drunkenness.
However, they can also be dangerous. A merrymaker trying to sober himself fast might down a couple of shots of espresso and think that he is ready to drive.
Now, a study published in the current issue of Biological Neuroscience confirms that relying on coffee is a bad idea.
Researchers fed mice alcohol, caffeine or a combination of these and watched how well they navigated a maze. The tipsy ones appeared relaxed but could not effectively avoid the bright lights and loud noises that scientists set up in the maze.
The ones on caffeine fared better, but were “less savvy about avoiding unpleasant stimuli”. Those that had consumed both alcohol and caffeine were alert but still unable to avoid the nasty shocks in the maze.
Ultimately, nothing beats time for the body to work through all that booze coursing through the bloodstream.
- Los Angeles Times
No comments:
Post a Comment