A few facts about how the body absorbs and metabolizes alcohol:
- Alcohol does not require any digestion and is absorbed directly from the stomach and the small intestine
- Alcohol is broken down in the liver
- A small amount of alcohol is metabolized in the stomach before it has been absorbed
- Once absorbed, alcohol moves through the blood stream to the liver (where is it broken down)
- An average, healthy adult metabolizes the equivalent of one drink per hour
- Drinking more than one drink per hour you expose every tissue in your body to the toxic effects of alcohol
- Consuming foods with some fat, protein and fiber helps to slow the absorption of alcohol and can reduce blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by as much as 50% as opposed to drinking on an empty stomach
- Carbonated alcohol beverages are known for being absorbed very rapidly
- Women usually absorb 30-35% more of a given alcohol intake compared to men of the same size, which may explain why females often show a greater response to alcohol than males
- Very little alcohol is lost in sweat
- Alcohol can cause dehydration (so it is best to drink lots of water before, during and after drinking)
- Alcohol fails to trigger the satiety (fullness) response in the body, leading some to overeating
- Alcohol has a high calorie content and doesn’t provide any nutritional value
Hm, didn’t know about the second to last one. That explains a lot.