Do you ever wonder why you are seeing double after one glass of champagne while your friend could walk a tightrope after four? Read these five factors for an explanation:

What’s in the glass?

What you’re drinking affects you in different ways. A greater percentage of alcohol in your drink makes you feel the effects more than a mixed or diluted beverage. Vodka often has a 40% or more alcohol concentration, while wine has 12-15%. Also, carbonation in a drink speeds up its effect. The bubbles in champagne or soda-mixed drinks stimulate the walls of the stomach, dilating the blood vessels and causing more alcohol to be absorbed.

Throwing back your drink

The faster you consume your beverage, the faster you feel it. If you finish your drink quickly, more alcohol hits your stomach in a shorter amount of time. As your stomach absorbs the liquid without sober intervals, alcohol hits your system more quickly.

Your gender

Ever noticed how women seem to feel their alcohol sooner than men? Men and women have different levels of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol in the stomach. This process occurs more slowly in women than in men. As alcohol remains in a woman’s system longer, she may feel drunker than a man who consumed the same amount.

Your shape

A smaller, lighter person feels the effects of alcohol sooner than a larger person. The alcohol concentrates around the organs, and because it contains little water, it takes longer to cycle through a smaller system.

What’s in your stomach?

The food in your stomach creates a base for alcohol and some foods are better bases than others. Carbohydrates such as pasta or bread absorb alcohol and prevent your stomach lining from taking in large concentrations. Also, a salad or fruit provides nutrients that balance the negative qualities of alcohol.

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