Energy Drink-Vodka Combo Nearly Kills Teen

The near death of a German teenager who consumed huge amounts of energy drinks mixed with vodka highlights the largely unrecognized danger of such beverage combinations, researchers report.

The 17-year-old boy suffered acute kidney failure and was hospitalized for 10 days following the incident, when he drank one liter of vodka combined with three liters of energy drinks. He told authorities he was trying to improve the outcome of two 100-meter races he ran at school, after which he experienced vomiting and dizziness and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital.

The case study is published in the July print issue of Pediatrics.

"This is another classic case of teenage binge drinking and another warning for parents that . . . it can go to extremes and be fatal or near-fatal," said Cecile Marczinski, whose similar research on alcohol's interaction with energy drinks is published online and in the July 2011 print issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. "You have no idea how intoxicated you really are, so you drink far more than you would ever consume had you not combined them. This case is a perfect example of that."

Study author Dr. Isabelle Schoffl said the boy ingested 380 grams of alcohol, 780 milligrams of caffeine and 4,600 milligrams of taurine in the four-liter combination. Taurine is an amino acid that helps regulate water and mineral salt levels in the blood. The taurine seemed to overwhelm the patient's kidneys, necessitating temporary dialysis treatments.

The fact that he was able to buy one-liter bottles of energy drinks -- which are normally sold in smaller cans in Europe and the United States -- suggested there was no harm to drinking such large amounts, she wrote in the study.

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement last month that children and teens should avoid energy drinks, the hazards of which are being increasingly scrutinized. Ready-made alcoholic beverages with added caffeine were banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November 2010 after a year-long review of scientific literature.

Marczinski noted that energy drink containers are becoming larger, with the popular Red Bull brand now available in a nearly 17-ounce can, about twice its original size. The German boy probably did not realize he was also consuming about 22 shots' worth of vodka, Marczinski said, which she calculated a one-liter bottle contains.

"I don't think he would have done 22 shots of vodka without the [influence of] the energy drinks," said Marczinski, also an assistant professor in the psychology department at Northern Kentucky University.

Bruce Goldman, director of substance abuse services at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., said he thinks the boy's massive alcohol consumption posed greater risk than the energy drinks, but the combination is doubly dangerous.

"Bottom line, anything that makes it easier for kids or young people to consume large quantities of alcohol is very dangerous," Goldman said. "To me, the danger is in the alcohol. The kids don't realize they're putting themselves at grave risk."

Home Remedies of Apple Cider Vinegar

Natural healing Apple cider vinegar kills germs and nourishes the body at the same time, so have a look at some of the many different ways people have been benefiting from the external and internal application of this folk medicine.

Note: If you take ACV between meals or before going to bed, always rinse your mouth to avoid any prolonged vinegar contact with the enamel on your teeth.
Any acid food or drink however, such as citrus fruit, soda pop, and apple cider vinegar can erode tooth enamel if it is allowed to stay in contact with the teeth for long periods of time.


ACNE BLEMISHES
Apply a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (three tablespoons to one four ounce glass of water) with a cotton ball several times a day. This will help reduce infection and dry out inflammation.
Another natural healing home cure calls for the every day application of apple cider vinegar which has been infused with horseradish.
Prepare the solution by adding cups of ACV to pound of grated horseradish. Let it sit for weeks, then strain.

AGE SPOTS
Apply every day, to these darkened areas of the skin, a solution containing three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of onion juice. According to this home cure, the spots ought to start to fade within three weeks.


ARTHRITIS HELP
Message the sore joints with a embrocation made up of three egg whites, ½ cup (125 ml) apple cider vinegar, and ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil. Also, basically taking the apple cider vinegar tonic (three or three teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) before each meal has been an effective natural healing home cure for plenty of people.
ASTHMA
Some people have found relief from mild asthma by taking the apple cider vinegar tonic along with applying a vinegar-soaked compress to the inside of the wrists.

BLEEDING NOSE
Soak a cotton ball in pure apple cider vinegar, have the person lay his head back and then place it in the bleeding nostril. This home cure will help cease the bleeding faster.

ATHLETE'S FOOT
Athlete's foot is a fungal infection which is difficult to get rid of. of the best home cures involves soaking the feet three times a day in a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. Or, you can apply pure apple cider vinegar to the affected areas several times a day and before bedtime.

BLOOD PRESSURE
Take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey in a glass of water three times a day to help lower blood pressure. The high potassium values in both natural healing substances helps to balance out sodium levels in the body, which aids in maintaining blood pressure within healthy limits. Apple cider vinegar and honey also contain magnesium, a mineral that works to relax blood vessel walls and thus lower hypertension. To maximize the benefit of this and other home cures, take the holistic approach, and couple this with dietary modifications such as a reduced fat and salt intake, increased fiber intake, moderate coffee and alcohol, no smoking, and every day exercise.

BODY ODOR
Use apple cider vinegar as a natural body deodorant and eliminate the bacteria causing offensive body odor. For example, check out these related home cures:
Underarms can be kept free of odor causing bacteria by wiping them three times a day with undiluted apple cider vinegar whereas foot odor can be greatly minimized by soaking the feet or times every week in a pan of warm water mixed with 1/3 cup (75 ml) of ACV.

BRUISES
Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in ½ cup (125 ml) of warm apple cider vinegar and apply it to the bruise as a compress.

BONE HEALTH
Due to its mineral content, Apple cider vinegar helps to maintain bone mass and fight against osteoporosis. The important minerals involved include manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and silicon.
Take the general apple cider vinegar tonic (three or three teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to boost the body's supply of these minerals. Click here to find more about the mineral content of apple cider vinegar.

CANCER PREVENTION
Apples and apple cider vinegar contain numerous substances that protect against plenty of types of cancer. They contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant, and phytochemicals such as flavonoids and polyphenols that are also protective against cancer formation.
And they both contain pectin, a soluble fiber , which binds positive cancer causing compounds in the colon and speeds up their elimination from the body.
So eat an apple a day and take the general apple cider vinegar tonic home cure (three or three teaspoons to 8 ounces of water) to maximize these benefits.

BURNS
Apply pure apple cider vinegar to the burn, whether it is from the sun or a hot surface, to reduce the pain, to disinfect, and to supply nutrient necessary for healing.

CHOLESTEROL REDUCTION
It is thought that the water soluble fiber pectin, present in apple cider vinegar, absorbs fats and cholesterol and eliminates them from the body. And simultaneously, the amino acids present in apple cider vinegar neutralize a number of the harmful oxidized LDL cholesterol.