Alcohol mixed with energy drinks: what about taurine?

Alcohol and energy drinks: individual contribution of common ingredients on ethanol-induced behaviour

Since energy drinks (EDs) were sold to the general public as soft drinks and recreational beverages, mixing EDs with ethanol has grown in popularity, particularly among younger people. Given the research that links these drinks with higher risk behaviors and increased ethanol intake, ethanol combined with EDs (AmEDs) is a particularly worrying combination. EDs generally commonly include a variety of ingredients. Sugar, caffeine, taurine, and B-group vitamins are almost always present. Studies on the combined effect of ethanol and sugar and caffeine on ethanol-induced behaviors are extensive. Not so much in regards to taurine and vitamins. This review briefly summarises available information from research on the isolated compounds on EtOH-induced behaviors first, and secondly, the combination of AmEDs on EtOH effects. The conclusion is that additional research is needed to fully comprehend the characteristics and consequences of AmEDs on EtOH-induced behaviors.

Taurine Alleviates Cadmium-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Regulating Autophagy Flux

Our previous studies have confirmed that cadmium (Cd) exposure causes hepatotoxicity; it also induces autophagy and blocks the autophagy flux. Therefore, we hypothesized that Cd hepatotoxicity could be alleviated through nutritional intervention. Taurine (Tau) has various biological functions such as acting as an antioxidant, acting as an anti-inflammatory, and stabilizing cell membranes. In order to explore the protective effect and internal mechanism of Tau on Cd-induced hepatotoxicity, normal rat liver cell line BRL3A cells were treated with Cd alone or in combination with Tau to detect cell injury and autophagy-related indexes in this study. We found that Tau can alleviate Cd-induced cell-proliferation decline and morphological changes in the cell. In addition, Tau activates autophagy and alleviates the blockage of Cd-induced autophagy flux. In this process, lysosome acidification and degradation were enhanced, and autophagosomes were further fused with lysosomes. Then, we found that Tau alleviated autophagic flux block by promoting the transfer of membrane fusion proteins STX17 and SNAP29 to autophagosomes and the translocation of VAMP8 to lysosomes, which in turn attenuated the hepatocyte injury induced by Cd exposure. This will further reveal the hepatotoxicity mechanism of Cd and provide the theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of Cd poisoning.

Energy drinks at adolescence: Awareness or unawareness?

Energy drinks (EDs) are beverages similar to soft drinks, characterized by high caffeine concentrations with additional ingredients like taurine and vitamins, marketed for boosting energy, reducing tiredness, increasing concentration, and for their ergogenic effect. The majority of consumers are children, adolescents, and young athletes. Although EDs companies claim about the ergogenic and remineralizing properties of their products, there is a serious lack of evidence at preclinical as well as clinical level to validate their benefits. The regular intake and long-term consequences of these caffeinated drinks are not well documented, especially the possible negative effects in adolescents whose brain is still developing. EDs combined with alcohol are also gaining popularity among adolescents and different publications indicate that this combined consumption might increase the risk to develop an alcohol use disorder, as well as produce serious adverse cardiovascular effects. There is an increasing need to disseminate knowledge on EDs damage on health, so that adolescents can be aware about the potential harmful outcomes of consuming these drinks.

Interaction of Energy Drinks with Prescription Medication and Drugs of Abuse

In recent years, the consumption of energy drinks (EDs) has become increasingly popular, especially among adolescents. Caffeine, a psychostimulant, is the main compound of EDs which also contain other substances with pharmacological effects. This review aims to compile current evidence concerning the potential interactions between EDs, medicines, and drugs of abuse as they are frequently consumed in combination. The substances involved are mainly substrates, inductors or inhibitors of CYP1A2, psychostimulants, alcohol and other depressant drugs. Furthermore, intoxications reported with EDs and other substances have also been screened to describe acute toxicity. The results of our review show that the consumption of both EDs alone and in combination is not as safe as previously thought. Health professionals and consumers need to be aware of the potential interactions of these drinks as well as the absence of long-term safety data.