Alcohol and men
Daily recommended drinking levels for a healthy male are 3-4 units of alcohol per day with two alcohol free
days per week.
Why a healthy male? There may be medical reasons not to drink.
The recommended units are based how the male body processes alcohol; the male body has a lower ratio
of fat to water therefore enabling the body to help dilute the alcohol. The average male tends to have more
body tissue than females, and this enables the body to absorb more of the alcohol they drink.
A male liver has a higher level of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in the liver than a female liver, making it
easier to metabolise the alcohol.
Alcohol and women
Daily recommended drinking levels for a healthy female are 2-3 units of alcohol per day
Why a healthy female? There may be medical reasons not to drink including pregnancy where much lower
levels of drinking are recommended.
The recommended units are based on how the female body processes alcohol; the female body has a
higher ratio of fat to water therefore the body is less able to help dilute the alcohol. The average female tends
to have less body tissue than the males therefore the body is less able to absorb the alcohol they drink.
A female liver has a lower level of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in the liver than a male liver making it harder
to metabolise the alcohol.
For more information see:
