Alcohol enters the body through the stomach and the small intestine at approximately 20 percent and 80 percent respectively. It enters the blood stream and is carried around the body where it dissolves in the water of the tissues, including the muscles but it doesn’t enter the fat. As men’s bodies have a higher muscle to fat ratio than women, alcohol is more diluted in the body, and this is why the recommended daily allowance is higher for men.
The absorption is affected by several differing factors, firstly the stomach contents, as food slows down the absorption rate, the alcohol will enter the system more slowly when the stomach is full. The second is the concentration of alcohol; this is shown on the bottle or can as a percentage. A typical can of beer will be around 5% wine is typically 12% although nowadays 13 or even 14% are common, finally spirits, like whiskey or brandy are usually around 40%. Finally the type of drink will also have an effect; carbonated drinks will be absorbed quicker so that for example a scotch and soda will get into the blood stream quicker than a scotch and water.
As with all drugs, alcohol affects the cells in the brain by affecting both the neurotransmitters and the receptors in the brain. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that take information from one cell to the other; the receptors are the covering of the cell that the neurotransmitters bind to, similar to a lock and key. Also the different centres of the brain are affected as the blood alcohol levels are increased; the first to be influenced is the Cerebral Cortex whilst the last is the Medulla.
The effects of this are mild euphoria when the first drink is taken, a person feels relaxed and less inhibited then, as the blood alcohol levels increase, the person starts to loose muscle control, their speech becomes impaired until finally the person looses consciousness or even, given extreme high levels of alcohol, death.
Alcohol also affects other parts of the body notably the stomach and intestines which by increasing the blood flow will increase the acid production and at the same time will irritate the lining of both which is the cause of vomiting. Blood flow is increased to the skin which is why some people appear flushed but this can make the body lose temperature. Paradoxically, it decreases the blood flow to the muscles, making them ache, also known as a hangover. The alcohol goes on working until it is eliminated from the system.
