Although the majority of people wouldn’t really believe this, men and women react to alcohol quite differently. Contrary to the common beliefs, women and men of the same weight and height don’t react in the same way when they consume the same amounts of alcohol.
Effects of Alcohol
Just as in case of different kinds of diseases, the alcohol induced ailments act on men and women in various ways. The studies conducted in the field of alcohol caused problems all point to the fact that such illnesses develop in women faster than in case of men.
General Truth
Generally speaking, men are better at excessive alcohol consumption than women. Men are well-built, they have less body fat and more blood volume than women. Besides this, men also have higher dehydrogenase levels. This is the enzyme which breaks alcohol down.
Women’s Case
As you may all know, women have smaller body sizes, low levels of dehydrogenase, and more body fat. We also have to take into consideration that they are prone to hormone variations. As a result, women have a faster response to the effects of alcohol.
Diluting Alcohol
In case of men, the water concentration of the body is of 61%. On the other hand, in case of women the water concentration is a lot lower, of only 52%. This means that men’s body is able to dilute alcohol with more ease than women’s, regardless of their weight.
Metabolizing Alcohol
As it has been mentioned before, women have lower dehydrogenase levels. This enzyme can metabolize alcohol even before it reaches the bloodstream. As a result, the body of women is able to metabolize alcohol a lot slower than the body of men.
Hormonal Changes
Women go through hormonal variations prior to their menstruation and this can lead to fast intoxication. Thus women can get drunk a lot faster than men, especially in the period prior to their menstruation. This situation is even more evident in case of women who are taking birth control pills, especially those containing estrogen.
Body Fat
The body fat levels are in direct connection with the body’s ability to metabolize and absorb alcohol. Women have high body fat levels, and since fat can’t absorb alcohol, the alcohol concentration of the blood doesn’t decrease. Consequently, the effects of alcohol consumption become visible in case of women faster than in case of men.
