Should women try to keep up with men while at a drinking party? This is a question that might have popped up in your mind on numerous occasions. And what will happen If A Male And A Female Weigh The Same and Consume The Same Amount Of Alcohol? Well, the truth is, men and women, process alcohol differently. With the same quantity of alcohol, women tend to get more intoxicated than men, with their blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) notably higher even when they’re of the same weight.
Why Women Should not Consume the Same Amount of Alcohol as Men
There are a number of physiological reasons why we feel experience the effects of alcohol faster and more stronger. To begin with, women are generally smaller in body size than men. As such, their blood volume is relatively smaller compared to men’s. With their body size smaller, when women consume the same quantity of alcohol as men, their BAC gets higher.
However, a man and woman of the same weight drinking the same quantity of alcohol results in the woman getting more intoxicated than the man. This can be attributed to a number of reasons. Below are some of them.
Lower Blood Volume in Women
Women are known to have fewer water volumes in their bodies compared to men. While a man’s body comprises of 61 percent water, a woman’s is only 52 percent. As such, a man’s body is a better diluter of alcohol than a woman’s. Therefore, more alcohol stays in a woman’s body, thereby raising her BAC.
Higher Body Fat in Women
Women have higher body fat proportions than men of equal weight. Body fat affects the rate at which the body processes alcohol. Since alcohol can’t dissolve in fat, most of it is left in the woman’s fluids such as blood. This raises her BAC compared to that of a man of equal weight who drinks the same quantity of alcohol.
Less Dehydrogenase (ADH) in Women
Generally, women have less ADH than men. ADH is an enzyme in the stomach and liver responsible for breaking down alcohol. Less ADH means less efficiency in the breakdown of alcohol in a woman’s body compared to a man’s body. This leads to more alcohol entering women’s bloodstreams than men’s, thereby making women more intoxicated.
Hormonal Differences
There are hormonal differences between women and men, thus affecting alcohol metabolism. During the menstrual cycle, women experience hormone level changes that may affect the rate at which they become intoxicated. Alcohol metabolism generally slows down during women’s premenstrual phase. This causes more alcohol to get into her bloodstream, thereby increasing her BAC. In addition, birth control pills, as well as any other medications containing estrogen, slow down women’s alcohol metabolism.