Have you ever wondered why your spouse/male friend seemed less affected by his second cocktail than you did by your first? It's not all in your head, it's in his stomach.
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) is an enzyme discovered in the mid-1960s. In humans, it is present in the lining of the stomach where it breaks down alcohols which could become toxic.
ADH activity varies between men and women, and between populations from around the world. For example, women are unable to process alcohol at the same rate as men due to lower quantities of ADH. In women of Native American and Asian decent the rate is even lower than those from European countries.
Before driving home from holiday parties this year, remember that women have proportionally less (body) water than men, so the concentration of alcohol in their blood stream is higher. The legal limit is .08 in MN and small hand held monitors are available to purchase.
Eat, drink and be merry at your gatherings but use both your head and your stomach!
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Wine, food, travel and musings from a rural MN perspective.
