When it comes to alcohol, men and women are
inherently unequal and no legislation can impose
sexual equality on them. It's absolutely essential for
the health and safety of women to understand this
inequality and act accordingly.
Contrary to common myth, not even men and
women of the same height and weight experience
the same effects from consuming identical amounts
of alcohol.
Women are affected by alcohol more rapidly
because they tend to have a higher proportion of
body fat than men. As fat cannot absorb alcohol, it is
concentrated at higher levels in the blood. Women
also have less of a gastric or stomach enzyme
(dehydrogenase) that metabolizes or breaks down
alcohol before it enters the bloodstream. Because of
this, women absorb up to nearly 30% more alcohol
into their bloodstream than men of the same height
and weight who drink the same amount of alcohol.
Women are also usually shorter and lighter than
men, further concentrating alcohol in their blood.
Therefore, when women of average size consume
one drink, it will have almost the same effect as two
drinks do for the average-size man. If women eat
little or skip food entirely, that compounds the
effects of drinking alcohol.
Hormone changes during the menstrual cycle can
also affect alcohol metabolism adversely, increasing
the impact of alcohol.
The bottom line is that a woman who hopes to "hold
her own" in drinking against a man is putting herself
at great risk.
Although men and women are unequal when it
comes to the effects of alcohol, that's not true of
alcohol beverages themselves. Standard drinks of
beer, wine or distilled spirits all contain equivalent
amounts of alcohol... they're all the same to a
breathalyzer.
There are a number of things both men and women
can do to avoid problems with alcohol: For example:
Know your limit. If you're not sure, experiment at
home with your spouse or some other consume
one drink per hour without any ill effects. Also,
experiment with the Drink Wheel, which is very
informative.
Eat food while you drink. Food, especially high
protein food such as meat, cheese and peanuts,
will help slow the absorption of alcohol into your
body.
Sip your drinks. If you gulp, you also lose the
pleasure of their flavors and aromas.
Don't participate in "chugging" contests or other
drinking games.
Accept a drink only when you really want one. If
someone tries to force a drink on you, ask for a
non-alcohol beverage instead. If that doesn't work,
"lose" your drink by setting
it down someplace and leaving it.
Skip a drink now and then or alternate alcohol and
non-alcohol drinks. Having non- alcohol drinks will
help keep your blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
down, as does spacing your alcohol drinks.
Keep active; don't just sit around and drink. If you
stay active you tend to drink less and be to be
more aware of any effects alcohol may be having
on you.
Beware of unfamiliar drinks. Some drinks such, as
zombies and other fruit drinks, can
be deceiving as the alcohol content is not easily
detectable. Therefore, it is difficult to space them
properly.
Use alcohol carefully in connection with
pharmaceuticals. Ask your physician or
pharmacist about any precautions or prohibitions
and follow any advice received.
The good news is that, contrary to common myth,
alcohol is not fattening and research has
demonstrated that for many women, drinking leads
to slight weight loss.
It pays to know the facts, good or bad.
This page is informational only and does not
constitute medical or health advice and none
should be inferred. For all questions concerning
health and diet, contact your physician or other
qualified health care provider.

This is awesome! Thanks in a million times