Drinking Coffee Won’t Make You Sober

(Newswire.net — December 2, 2017) Cheyenne, Wyoming — After guzzling down a few cues of rum or a number of cocktails at the after-work happy hour, many believe a cup of coffee will get them rid of intoxication. Drinking coffee at this stage is simply an ineffective attempt of offering the body a helping hand. Unfortunately, coffee actually has the opposite effect of prolonging the state of drunkenness while numbing one’s awareness of it, which is an even bigger issue for nursing moms. 

Understanding the metabolic activities both alcohol and coffee induce on the body is key to seeing how silly the concept of one cancelling the effects of the other truly is. As soon as alcohol is consumed, dopamine, the driving chemical behind humans reward and pleasure systems, is released in higher than normal dosages. This rush of dopamine triggers the production of another chemical called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP) with the purpose of making the drinker feel even happier, active and chatty.

To manage this surge of euphoria, the body employs special enzymes until alcohol consumption fully stops. At this point, the body decelerates brain functions en route to regaining balance, hence that dizzy and sluggish sensation most drinkers experience afterwards. 

The problem with introducing coffee to the equation is that caffeine messes with the sedative after effects of alcohol. Essentially, caffeine, as found in coffee and energy drinks, tricks the body into thinking it is not as inebriated as it really is and further gives the illusion of soberness to the drinker.

The special enzymes meant to suppress the cyclic AMP, which is responsible for the feel-good effects, are not allowed to perform its duty properly because caffeine inhibits it as a sedative and prolongs the energizing effects of alcohol. 

According to Cecile Marczinski, Psychological Researcher at Northern Kentucky University, “[caffeine] has the ability to mask intoxication which could make people underestimate how drunk they are and impair their ability to cut themselves off.” 

So mixed signals begin floating about as the brain slows to counter drunkenness while being tricked into a false sense of security prodding a drinker to beyond their instinctive limits when caffeine doesn’t actually reduce how much alcohol is in the blood stream. 

For nursing moms, the metabolic disruption caused from consuming coffee with or soon after a glass of wine is far reaching. Caffeine also extends the wait time required before it is safe to resume breastfeeding. 

After a few drinks, the safest options for the health of mother and child is to simply test a sample of breast milk. Using an analysis kit such as the HealthyWiser™ PureMilk™ Breast Milk Alcohol Test Strips will provide you results with 99.9% accuracy within seconds, letting you know what is the wait required time.