Impact of Alcohol on Women’s Health Is More Than Men

Anushka woke up with a start. What was today? Saturday? Sunday? Monday? She had no clue. She scrambled over to her bedside table and checked her alarm clock - Sunday -phew - no work today, she thought. Her mouth felt dry and her insides felt terrible. She ran over to the bathroom and threw up. “Uh I really need to cut down on drinking,” she thought as the contents of her stomach found their way down the toilet bowl. Some spaghetti, some garlic bread, and a whole lot of guilt and shame.

Anushka isn’t alone. In India, around 1.6% of women aged 10–75 consume alcohol, compared to 27.3% of men in the same age group. Some states have higher percentages than others. In Arunachal Pradesh, 26% of women aged 15–49 consume alcohol. Alcohol consumption among women has been increasing over the recent past.

But what is it about alcohol consumption and women’s health that needs to be talked about? What we want to address here is alcohol and women’s health or rather effects of alcohol on women’s health.

Lower Body Weight

Ever noticed how your girlfriend or wife got drunk after just three drinks, while it took you a good five to six drinks to get drunk? That’s because they weigh less than men. This lower body weight results in women getting drunk way faster than men.

Higher Body Fat Percentage

Women tend to have a higher percentage of body fat than men. However, alcohol does not dissolve in fat. It stays more concentrated in the bloodstream, affecting women way more than men. Give a woman the same quantity of liquor as you have given a man, and she’ll be drunk faster than you can say drunk.

Metabolic Differences

Women metabolise alcohol slower than men, because of differences in enzymes that break down alcohol.. Also, the average woman's BMR is around 5,900 kJ per day, while the average man's is around 7,100 kJ per day. Slower metabolism means that the liquor a woman drinks stays longer in her system, compounding its effects. This is why women are more affected than men by alcohol.

Lower Alcohol Dehydrogenase Activity

According to scientists, women produce smaller quantities of a particular enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). This enzyme is released in the liver and breaks down alcohol in the body. At the same time, fat retains alcohol, while water helps disperse it resulting in women getting drunk faster than men.

Less Water In The Body

When it comes to alcohol, body weight matters. Those with a larger body mass or an increased fat percentage absorb alcohol slower. Usually male and female bodies differ dramatically in body mass, and the body diffuses alcohol better in a man. A man’s body weight is made up of around 55-65% water, while a woman’s body weight is around 45-55% water. The higher the body water content, more alcohol gets diluted. This results in a man having a lower BAC than a woman.

Greater Risk of Organ Damage

Women absorb more alcohol into their bloodstream and don’t metabolise it as effectively as men, they are at greater risk for liver damage, cardiovascular disease and other alcohol-related organ damage as opposed to men. When it comes to women and alcoholism, alcohol impacts women more.

Hormonal Differences

Alcohol can wreak havoc on the menstrual cycle, resulting in irregular periods. Heavy drinking can also cause issues with sterility and miscarriages. Alcohol increases estrogen levels, resulting in hormonal imbalances, causing issues like mood swings, weight gain and an increased risk of certain cancers. Alcohol is bad for the fetus as well. If you were to read the pregnancy and alcohol guidelines, you would know.

Social and Cultural Expectations

Women face different societal expectations when it comes to drinking behaviours, which can result in different patterns of alcohol consumption. Because women are expected to fulfill certain roles, they’re actually supposed to drink less. However, in reality that doesn’t happen. They end up drinking more and getting drunk faster than men. What’s more, If binge drinking in women takes place, the risk is highest.

Alcohol and Breast Cancer Risk

The risk of breast cancer increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. Light drinkers have a slightly higher risk, moderate consumers have a higher risk, and heavy drinkers the worst risk. Alcohol increases estrogen and insulin risk, causing cells to divide more often thus increasing the risk of cancer. Alcohol gets metabolised into acetaldehyde, which can damage DNA, and cause mutations that may lead to cancer.

In conclusion, alcohol impacts women far more than it affects men. Whether that is because of a lower body weight, increased fat percentage, alcohol impact on women’s liver, less water in the body or risk of organ damage, is anyone’s guess. Alcohol's effects on women’s mental health is also substantial. If you are a woman who is reading this please actively cut down on your alcohol consumption before it affects you adversely. If you are struggling with alcohol, and need help, don’t be afraid to seek it. Drink less, live more!