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Aug 2015Why the difference between men and women?
Posted by Drink Responsibly / in Responsible Drinking / No comments yet
Alcohol affects women differently than men. There are several reasons.
- On average, women weigh less and people who weigh less reach higher blood alcohol levels compared to people who weigh more.
- Women have more adipose tissue (fat), causing alcohol to be absorbed more slowly and the effects of alcohol to take longer to wear off.
- Women have less water in their bodies to dilute alcohol. If a woman and a man of the same weight drink an equal amount of alcohol, a woman’s blood alcohol concentration will be higher.
- Women have lower levels of the enzymes that break down alcohol. This lower level of enzymes means that alcohol remains in a woman’s system longer.