Why alcohol affects women more The way the stomach breaks down alcohol could explain why drinking appears to have a more pronounced effect on women. The toxic effects of alcohol have more impact on women's internal organs, including the liver, heart and brain.
Women are more vulnerable to developing alcohol-related diseases.
For instance, research has shown that the minimal amount of alcohol necessary to produce cirrhosis in the liver in women is two to three times less than in men. This is due to the fact that when men and women drink the same amount of alcohol, women develop higher blood alcohol levels. One reason for this is that women have smaller bodies than men. They also tend to have more fatty tissue. Alcohol cannot be dispersed in fat, and so it is less easily diluted by women than men.