Diet Soft Drink Mixers Result In Higher Breath Alcohol

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - We all know that alcohol has empty calories. So when people make mixed drinks many turn to diet mixers. However, researchers have found that mixing alcohol with diet soft drinks results in a higher breath alcohol content than mixing alcohol with a regular sugar-sweetened drink.

It is believed that the stomach treats sugar-sweetened beverages like food and delays the stomach from emptying, thus reducing the absorption of alcohol. Diet beverages, with no sugar, do not have this effect on the stomach and thus lead to increased alcohol absorption.