"There are physiological explanations for why our ability to tolerate alcohol wanes with age. For one thing, studies show the liver enzymes that break down alcohol become less efficient. "That means that our bodies metabolize alcohol a little bit differently," she says. "We also lose more muscle as we get older, and that muscle is replaced by fatty tissue." That's important, because muscle stores water and that water dilutes alcohol in our blood,"
"But for women in perimenopause, alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms that come with hormonal fluctuations like mood swings and irritability, says Christmas, who directs the Menopause Program and Center for Women's Integrated Health at the University of Chicago. "Alcohol already is known to be a depressant," she says. "It can all also increase baseline anxiety symptoms. Alcohol can disrupt sleep too. If you're already experiencing all of those symptoms, it's just that much more compounded.""
Alcohol tolerance often declines in middle age due to physiological changes. Liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol become less efficient, slowing alcohol breakdown. Age-related muscle loss reduces body water that dilutes alcohol, raising blood alcohol concentrations and prolonging intoxication. The same number of drinks produces stronger and longer-lasting effects. Alcohol acts as a depressant, can increase baseline anxiety, and disrupts sleep. Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause can worsen mood swings, irritability, and sleep problems when combined with alcohol. Spacing drinks and reducing intake can lessen immediate intoxication and next-day fatigue.
Read at www.npr.org
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