Why does Alcohol Tolerance differ from person to person?
Drinking is such a common thing in the USA that you definitely must have come across situations where someone is drinking a lot of alcohol yet is completely in control; whereas, another person takes only one shot of it and starts tripping already! Likewise, people respond to drinking alcohol in varying degrees.
This is nothing but “Alcohol Tolerance.” It’s because some people can consume large quantities of alcohol without feeling its effects, and sadly, some people not. It wasn’t so easy to conclude the reasons for such difference, hence multiple kinds of research had to be carried out.
The prime reasons are body weight and gender. The more weight and body size you have, the more alcohol you can drink without any side effects. Women will tend to appear drunk earlier than men for similar amounts of alcohol consumed.
Complex biological factors
The above two factors are straightforward to understand, but not some others. Enzymes play a big role in alcohol metabolism. Digesting alcohol is not an easy thing for anyone, maybe that’s why it is a multi-step process. The enzyme “alcohol dehydrogenase” processes a majority of the alcohol you drink in a compound named “acetaldehyde.” This compound is then again metabolized by the enzyme of “aldehyde dehydrogenase.”
The problem may lie in the fact that some people are deficient in aldehyde dehydrogenase and that can result in a build-up of acetaldehyde in the blood. This increases symptoms that you associate with a “Hangover,” e.g. flushing of the skin. When it comes to genetics, people of Asian descent have more chances of this particular enzyme being deficient in them.
The theory of neurotransmitters linking to alcohol suggests that people with a high tolerance of alcohol would be like that because their brains just don’t receive any signals that advise them to stop drinking. Maybe that is why they just take refills after refills and drink like no tomorrow.
But is it a good thing?
For those who are happy about their high alcohol tolerance, hold on, because not everything is good about it. The quantity of alcohol consumed still matters because it is more or less equal for everyone when it comes to biological changes in their body after a drinking session. E.g. you might think your friend is just fine to drive a vehicle after drinking, because they are not slipping and still have self-control, and even they might think so. But it will not guarantee that the ride will be smooth.
Tasks like driving vehicles require the utmost concentration and reaction time. Even half a second delay in taking decisions can be fatal for everyone in the vehicle. Hence, when someone drinks a lot and still looks in control, that doesn’t mean they are in 100% control of their senses. The best choice is to ditch driving and call any cab aggregator or you can give the keys to the one who isn’t drunk.
Those who think there aren’t any long-term effects of drinking for the highly tolerant people, well, think again. Even these people are at risk of brain disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, stomach cancer, neuropathy, etc. these are problems arising from the total amount of alcohol consumed in a lifetime. In fact, people who have more capacity to drink alcohol are more prone to become alcoholics.
Treading the middle ground
The key is to be mindful of how much you drink. Control your drinking during the warmer season, its because alcohol can lead to dehydration. You are better off drinking water when it is exercise time and also when you are outside in the heat.
It should be no surprise that alcohol tolerance is different in different people if you think about the fact that there are over seven billion people in the world and no two people are the same, thanks to their Genes. Rather than discovering your alcohol tolerance, you should consume it in controlled quantities anyways, that is more important.
One Reply to “Why does Alcohol Tolerance differ from person to person?”