This is a common scenario: You’re out to dinner and have had a drink or two (or three) with your meal. You’re feeling drowsy, so you decide to order coffee with your dessert in hopes to sober up and perk up a bit.
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But having the caffeine may not be the best idea, Robert Swift, M.D., Ph.D., the associate director of Brown University’s Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies tells Men’s Health. Caffeine can trick your brain into thinking that you’re less drunk than you actually are, he says.
When you drink coffee after drinking alcohol, the caffeine blocks the special enzymes that control alcohol’s sedative properties that slow down all of your brain’s processes and make you feel tired and fuzzy. Essentially, the caffeine ramps up alcohol’s feel-good effects while turning down its sedating effects.
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So even though alcohol continues to make your brain more sluggish, you start to feel more energized and not as drunk. You may be more likely to go for another round or attempt to drive home. You’ll also have a worse night of sleep. Because caffeine sticks around longer in the body (about six hours), its stimulating effects will make it harder to fall back asleep.
RELATED: 10 tips for staying alert without caffeine
In conclusion, you’re probably best served separating your alcohol from your after-dinner coffee. But if you must end your meal with some coffee, make it decaf.
Curated article from:
Men’s Health
