Now
that you're in college, you've got the freedom to make your
own decision about your life. That includes how much and how
often you drink. But before you start partying, get wise to
a few facts you might not yet be aware of.
How Alcohol
Discriminates
Unfortunately, alcohol isn't up with the times when it comes
to treating men and women equally. Check out this chart to
see how much drinking affects you, based on whether you are
male or female.
Women
Men
Ability to Dilute Alcohol
Average Total Body Water: 52%
Average Total Body Water: 61%
Ability to Metabolize Alcohol
Women have a smaller quantity of dehydrogenase,
an enzyme that breaks down alcohol.
Men have a larger quantity of dehydrogenase,
which allows them to break down the alcohol they consume
more quickly.
Hormonal Factors
Premenstrual hormonal changes cause intoxication to
set in faster during the days right before a woman gets
her period.
Their susceptibility to getting drunk does
not fluctuate dramatically at certain times of the month.
Alcohol increases estrogen levels.
Alcohol also increases estrogen levels
in men. Chronic alcoholism has been associated with loss
of body hair and muscle mass, development of swollen breasts
and shrunken testicles, and impotence.
Birth control pills or other medication
with estrogen increases intoxication.
Now
that you're in college, you've got the freedom to make your
own decision about your life. That includes how much and how
often you drink. But before you start partying, get wise to
a few facts you might not yet be aware of.