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Show 20 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2002 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 0 0T. STUDENTS FOR BY Emotional Health Intellectual Health body mind spirit STUDENTS Physical Health Social Health 4 Know what the latest legal high is in colleges and nightclubs? How about supercharged energy drinks mixed with hard liquor? While the combination isn't illegal (yet), it has experts worried about combining a heavily stimulating drink with a depressing alcohol. What energy drinks society bombarded with images of unnaturally thin women in movies, magazines, and on television, it is no wonder that diet products are selling faster than ever. Many such products seem deceptively e and safe, and many people don't really know what they are getting into. One of the most common ingredients in most of the diet drugs sold today is ephedra. While ephedra does have some good uses, it may have serious side effects. 1. The stimulants in these mixed drinks may mask how much alcohol someone has actually consumed, or how intoxicated they really are. 2. The stimulants are so powerful they could make someone feel alert, consuming more alcohol than they would if they were just having a vodka tonic, for example. What it is: Ephedra is an herbal stimulant derived from an evergreen plant commonly called Mormon Tea or Squaw Tea. It is found in many asthma medications and is sold in health food stores under a variety of brand names. 3. Once the stimulants wear off, there could be a huge concentration of the alcodepressant left in the system to cause unconscious vomiting, respiratory hol over-the-count- er depression, alcohol poisoning or even death. 4. The caffeine-alcohcombo could make the drinker an "alert drunk"; someone who thinks they can drink more because they don't feel as drunk as they actually are, or who thinks they can drive safely because they don't feel drunk. ol What it does: as an energy booster, and to Ephedra is used widely for weight-losincrease athletic performance. Ephedrine, a derivative of ephedra, is a bronchodilator (it "opens up" the lungs), so it can be useful for people with asthma and allergies. Ephedra has become very popular recently as a key ingredient in many popular herbal weight-los- s sup- Drinking lots of coffee does the same thing causing your brain to feel more alert and capable of handling situations, while the blood alcohol level hasn't been affected. s, 5. Another misconception is that the person is drinking is healthy, thus giving the impression they can drink more. plements. 6. The diuretic affect of alcohol is doubled when combined with the diuretic affect of caffeine.Talk about a hangover! Why you should be careful: Ephedra is an extremely potent drug. It increases heart rate and blood pressure by a mechanism similar to the response when you are scared.This effect is increased dramatically when ephedra is combined with caffeine and aspirin (an ECA stack) or guarana and white willow bark. Severe or lethal side effects may occur when taking ephedra, in any combination. These include: High blood pressure "fight-or-fligh- t" Hangovers are simply dehydration. 7. Large amounts of either caffeine or alcohol can be detrimental to the heart. Combining the two in mixed drinks that encourage excessive drinking could pose even greater risks including racing heartbeat, elevated blood pressure or even heart attack. Arrhythmia and heart palpitations Insomnia Nervousness Headache Tremors, seizures, or cerebrovascular events Kidney stones bother with something that is make to going you really, really drunk, loud, careless, sick, not to mention causSo, why ing the Mother of All Hangovers? Sounds like an advertising ploy to me, at People who have thyroid disease, diabetes, heart conditions, high blood pressure, anxiety, or depression should avoid ephedra completely and talk with their doctors about alternative weight-los- s methods. V your expense! - Oh, and one last thing contrary to popular culture.Taurine is an amino acid produced naturally in the body. It's not obtained from bull testicles. Stay safe: you choose to take ephedra, follow the directions on the bottle with th is in mind: the FDA recommends taking no more than 8 mg per dose and no more than 24 mg in a period. Most products have 12 mg or more per dose and recommend up to 100 mg per level significantly raises the risk of serious side effects. Stephanie Liebmann 24-ho- r SliKlrnt There's not much evidence that these drinks are healthful or provide any energy boost beyond a sugar and caffeine kick. But there's no hard data energy drinks are harmful either. So what's the big deal? It's the energy drink as a mixer that is concerning people who study alcohol use and abuse. easy-to-us- If an energy drink? Marketed under names like Red Devil, Battery, Erektus, ed Bull.Venom, SoBe Adrenaline Rush, KMX and 180, ihese "energy" drinks are simply soft drinks that boast a variety of stimulants including caffeine, ephedrine, guarana, jinseng, sugar and a grab bag of amino acids, vitamins and ninerals. p) In a is Hellh Adviwry Coninuiwc ur Ariel Holley more information about Student Health Service. SHAC, or Head to Head to Toe Toe contact 581-656- 0. Funded in part by the Unlventtv of Edited by: Stephanie Liebmann and Rick Thompson Uth PuhU,,. r ,. |