Understanding Alcohol's Effects
What happens when you drink an alcoholic beverage? Although alcohol affects different people in different ways, in general, it is quickly absorbed from your digestive system into your blood. The amount alcohol in your blood peaks within 30 to 45 minutes, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Most alcohol is metabolized—that is, broken down chemically so it can be eliminated from your body—more slowly than it is absorbed. You become intoxicated when the elimination process lags behind the absorption.
A standard drink is considered to be 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits—all of these contain the same amount of alcohol. The following factors influence how people respond to alcohol.
Alcohol is broken down through the work of three enzymes. Research shows that different people can have variations of the gene that produces these enzymes. The differences in these enzymes mean that some people metabolize alcohol differently from others. For instance, high levels of one enzyme cause facial flushing, nausea, and a rapid heartbeat—making drinking unpleasant even when only moderate amounts are consumed. The NIAAA says that genetic differences in these enzymes may help to explain why some ethnic groups have higher or lower rates of alcohol-related problems.
The extent of alcohol's effect on the central nervous system depends upon how much is in your blood and how much blood you have. This is because alcohol is distributed through the body by the water in your bloodstream, according to the NIAAA. The more water in your blood, the more diluted the alcohol will be.
Generally, the lower your body weight, the less blood and water you have. So, smaller people usually have a higher ratio of alcohol in their blood if they drink the same amount a heavier person drinks.
For most people, intoxication occurs after two to three drinks, but it can occur more quickly, with fewer drinks in a lighter person. Keep in mind that the alcohol content of different types of beer, wine, and distilled spirits can vary substantially.
Men generally can drink more alcohol than women of the same size before they show its effects. This is because women have less body water than men of similar body weight. Because alcohol mixes with water, women tend to have a higher concentration of alcohol than men of the same weight after drinking the same amount of alcohol. Women also have lower levels of one of the enzymes that metabolizes alcohol, so the alcohol they drink stays in their bodies for a longer time. Therefore, with the same amount of consumption, a woman's brain and other organs are exposed to more alcohol and more of its toxic byproducts.
As people get older, they usually have a higher fat-to-muscle ratio and less body water, so with the same amount of intake they may have a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood than younger people of the same weight. In addition, many older people take prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) medications that may interact with alcohol. The slower reaction times and problems with seeing and hearing put older people who are intoxicated at higher risk for falls and traffic accidents. People older than 65 should limit themselves to one drink a day.
What's in the drink
The water in beer or wine provides an extra buffer for the alcohol over a straight shot of liquor. That's why people tend to feel the effects of beer or wine a little less.
But the carbon dioxide in champagne or the soda in a mixed drink increases the rate of alcohol absorption, causing a more rapid effect.
How much food is in your stomach
How quickly alcohol is absorbed depends on how quickly the stomach empties its contents into the intestines. Foods high in fat take longer to leave the stomach. If you eat a meal, especially one containing fat, before drinking, alcohol absorption will be considerably slower than drinking on an empty stomach.
The medications you take
Alcohol can influence the effectiveness of medications, including sleeping pi