Women & alcohol: to drink or not to drink
 Alcohol is a topic which frequently appears in the media and often we are presented with mixed messages. One minute red wine is good for your heart and the next it may be increasing your risk of cancer.
In Australian society there is certainly a drinking culture - and it isn't just amongst young people. Women of all ages are drinking at levels harmful to their health. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health found that:
- Although older women are more likely to be non-drinkers than younger or mid-aged women, more than 10 per cent of older women drink alcohol every day
- Mid-age women tend to drink alcohol on more days of the week than younger women, but have fewer drinks
- Younger women are more likely than mid-age/ older women to reduce their alcohol consumption from levels that are risky to their health
Women and alcohol
Due to size, body type and the way in which our bodies process alcohol, women become affected by alcohol far quicker than men. As a result, women are much more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol misuse.
The liver is the main organ which breaks down and removes alcohol from your system. It takes about one hour to remove one standard drink, and despite a range of theories for speeding up the process (e.g. black coffee, cold showers or vomiting) none of these make the process any quicker.
A standard drink
 One standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol. When keeping track of alcohol consumption it is important to count the standard drinks consumed, rather than cans or glasses. "Many women don't realise that a cocktail or bottled pre-mixer is more than one standard drink," says dietitian Cate Lombard. "It can be very easy to have several of these drinks without realising their potency."
All pre-packaged alcoholic drinks have the number of standard drinks listed on the label. However, drinks such as wine, beer and spirits can also be served in glasses. "Some restaurants use larger wine glasses - almost resembling small fish bowls," says Cate. "These glasses can make a lot of wine look like only a little bit, and may mean that you consume more than you think."
Low risk drinking
In 2007 the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council defined low risk alcohol consumption for women as, on average, no more than two standard drinks per day and at least two alcohol free days per week. Low risk consumption of alcohol in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle does not appear to be associated with long-term illness.
High risk drinking
High risk alcohol consumption is best defined as anything that exceeds the consumption of more than two standard drinks per day. High risk drinking, including binge drinking (the consumption of excess alcohol over a short space of time) can put your health at serious risk.
Julie's story
I've never been a big drinker. I didn't drink during my pregnancies, and when the kids hit school I rarely drank as I was the family taxi and had to get my kids to basketball safely. It wasn't until I hit my 40s that things started to change. No longer the designated driver, it suddenly became very easy to slot into the routine of sharing a bottle of wine with dinner. It began affecting my sleep - two or three glasses and I would be awake half the night. When I started experiencing hot flushes due to menopause, I found that drinking made them much worse. It also wreaked havoc on my skin, which was constantly dry. In my 40s I also started to become more prone to weight gain. Drinking compounded the issue. Usually I could stop after two or three squares of chocolate, but after a drink I found I could eat half a block. I've realised that I have to cut back on my drinking for my health. Cold turkey is never going to work for me as drinking is such a social thing, and I genuinely love the taste of wine. How can I make the changes for my health without compromising my lifestyle?
- Julie, 47
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Cate's advice
While it's okay to indulge occasionally, taking control of your drinking habits will help your menopause symptoms and your health in general.
Here are a few tips to help you on your way:
- Make a pact with yourself and your family that you will aim for at least two or three alcohol-free nights a week.
- Try substituting a really good mineral water for wine and drink it out of your favourite wine glass. You can do this at any social event.
- You may be drinking alcohol to quench thirst. Try drinking more water during the day and while cooking (out of your favourite glass of course!)
- Make sure a jug of water is on your dinner table.
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Short and long-term effects of high risk drinking
Short-term effects may include:
- Poor sleep
- Change in mood (often affecting relationships)
- Headaches
- Dehydration
- Problems with day-to-day functioning, including clear decision making
- Irritation to the lining of the stomach, intestine and pancreas, which may cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Accidents, injury
Long-term effects may include:
- Depression
- Relationship difficulties
- Decline in quality of life
- Weight gain
- Permanent liver damage
- Dementia
- Loss of ability to think clearly
- Alcohol dependence
- Low vitamin B, zinc and magnesium, especially when combined with irregular eating
- Increased risk of some cancers
Health benefits
 Research has shown that drinking small amounts of red wine in a regular pattern can help to reduce the risk of heart disease in some people from middle age onwards (aged 40+). For women, this equates to less than one standard drink per day. These benefits do not apply to younger age groups however, and irregular drinking patterns, particularly those involving higher
levels of alcohol, may actually increase your risk of heart disease and other illnesses.
Similar health benefits may be better achieved from making lifestyle changes such as being physically active, eating a healthy diet and giving up smoking.
If you are concerned about your drinking, or are concerned for friends or family, talk to your GP about what you can do to help them/yourself.
Emma's story
I rarely drink alcohol during the week, but once a week I enjoy a night at the local pub with my girlfriends. I love having a social drink with my friends. We shout each other a few rounds and, once we've had a few, we relax and tend to keep drinking. Having a few drinks helps me unwind and I find it easier to chat to people. But a few drinks easily turns into eight or ten - and then I'll talk to anyone who will listen! The night usually goes by in a whirl as we all tend to drink too much. We catch a taxi home together - via the local fast food outlet for burgers and hot chips. I know it's bad to binge drink, but I love a big night out every now and again. During the week I eat and sleep well, and I have started exercising more to lose some weight, so does this mean it's okay for me to save my alcohol quota for a one night binge?
- Emma, 34
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Cate's advice
Unfortunately it doesn't work this way. Drinking excessively (four or more drinks at a time) even once a week will still cause health problems, and will certainly increase your risk of injury and accidents. It's great that you and your friends don't drive when you drink and that you take care of your health, but binge drinking, especially combined with fast food, will certainly not help if you are trying to lose weight. You don't have to stop your nights out - you can still have a great time without as much alcohol. Try the following tips:
- Set a maximum number of drinks for the night.
- Make a pact with your friends to stop at a certain number.
- Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and top up your drinks with extra ice or water.
- Limiting the money you take with you and not bringing credit cards will mean there is no temptation to keep buying drinks.
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Practical tips for drinking responsibly
At Home
- Make a pact with yourself and your family that you will aim for at least three alcohol-free nights a week
- Set your limit before you start drinking and stop when you reach it
- Replace alcohol with your favourite non‑alcoholic drink
- Remove easy to access tempations e.g. casks of wine or bottles of spirits
Socially
- Don’t skip meals before going out and drink alcohol with food to slow absorption
- Avoid salty foods that make you thirsty and make you drink more
- Avoid home-mixed drinks such as punch where you cannot determine the alcohol content
- Be careful of friends or waiters topping up your drinks for you – this makes it much harder to tell how much you have had to drink
Resources for alcohol management
Australian Alcohol Guidelines www.alcoholguidelines.gov.au
Alcoholics Anonymous www.aa.org.au
Al-anon www.al-anon.org/australia (for friends and family of problem drinkers/alcoholics)
© 2008 The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health
Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under copyright legislation, no part may be reproduced or reused for any commercial purposes.
Content Updated May 31, 2008
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