[Rhodes22-list] Alcohol and diet drinks. This explains a lot.

[R22RumRunner at aol.com]

_Do Diet Drinks Get You  Drunker?_ 
(http://diets.aol.com/newsandtrends/diet-drinks) 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

By Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H. 

It's a known fact that many things that  taste good are bad for you. Hence, 
knocking back a favorite libation sweetened  with calorie-free syrups, sodas or 
flavorings is standard operating procedure  for most dieters. But according 
to a group of Australian researchers (and eight  tipsy guys), booze mixed with 
artificial sweeteners is a recipe for rapid  intoxication. 

During the study, "subjects" downed a 478-calorie  orange-flavored vodka 
concoction on day one. The second day, they boozed on the  same amount of alcohol 
coupled with a diet mixer containing only 225 calories.  When researchers 
measured the rate of stomach emptying, they found that when  stomachs were filled 
with diet-alcohol concoctions, they emptied in 15.3 minutes  compared with 
21.1 minutes for the sugar-sweetened elixir. Peak blood alcohol  concentration 
was also significantly higher with the diet drink than the  sugar-sweetened 
variety. 

"Some research with artificial sweeteners show  that the brain 'thinks' there 
is a sugar load coming and prepares the body by  releasing insulin," explains 
Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D., of the American  Dietetic Association. The 
result: fewer calories and faster absorption of  alcohol. And when you drink on 
an empty stomach, the effect is even more  pronounced. 

If you want to stay svelte and still party it up at a  backyard barbecue 
(without getting giddy in the process), eat a light meal  before having a drink 
with a diet mixer or choose a low-calorie snack with your  drink, suggests 
Cynthia Sass, M.P.H., M.A., R.D., author of 'Your Diet is  Driving Me Crazy.' 
Better yet, go for a wine spritzer (it's free of artificial  sweeteners) instead of 
a shot mixed with diet soda. Cheers!