In large amounts, alcohol isn’t good for anyone. In fact, alcoholism can permanently harm the liver, cause behavioral changes that disrupt relationships, and compromise job performance, just to name a few negative effects. But while these factors hold true among anyone who abuses alcohol, women are more likely to suffer the ramifications of alcohol consumption, even at lower levels.
What makes women more vulnerable than men? There are several factors – primarily that women generally weigh less than men, but also that women’s bodies contain less water than men’s, and this is where alcohol takes up residence in the body. With less body mass to distribute the effects of alcohol across, alcohol quickly wreaks havoc on women’s bodies.
Alcohol And Stress
Women should be especially careful about drinking in response to stress. Although women are more likely to suffer from depression as a result of chronic stress, while men are more likely to turn to alcohol, many women discover at a young age that alcohol makes them less aware of daily stress triggers. This creates a positive association with a negative behavior and discourages the development of healthier coping methods like yoga and meditation – behaviors that can actually help reduce the risk of alcoholism and addiction.
Binge drinking in particular is linked to stress and with the desire to forget about difficult life situations, and in fact as many as 12% of women report 3 or more episodes a month of binge drinking. Among women of childbearing age, bring drinking brings special risks, as alcohol consumption can have dire effects on a developing fetus.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Although more doctors have begun to conclude that the occasional drink over the course of an entire pregnancy is unlikely to cause serious problems, drinking more heavily during pregnancy can cause condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Recently, it’s been recognized that fetal alcohol syndrome is actually a spectrum of symptoms that can persist throughout the life of an affected individual.
Across the spectrum, drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriages, but it’s also associated with trimester-specific abnormalities related to fetal development. Drinking during the first trimester can cause facial abnormalities, while second semester drinking is tied to developmental delays, and third trimester drinking can further compound these delays as well as impact adult height.
Ultimately, it’s hard to know exactly how alcohol will impact any individual – 90% of binge drinkers don’t suffer from alcoholism and many women will tell you they drank during pregnancy without any ill effects, but there’s no way to know. Many doctors have postulated that the effect of alcohol on a fetus has more to do with the mother’s liver and alcohol metabolism than how much the mother drink, and as for individuals women, those with a family history of addiction are known to be more vulnerable.
Despite the uncertainty, there’s one thing we can say for certain – you won’t suffer ill effects if you don’t drink, and that alone is a good reason to abstain. Developing healthier habits is always the preferable road for lifelong health.
