Many people assume that women are more greatly affected by alcohol than men because they generally weigh less and have lower rates of drinking. While this is true, researchers have found other ways in which women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.

One important finding is that the enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol is less active in women. This means that more alcohol winds up in a woman's bloodstream. Additionally, a woman's higher ratio of body fat makes alcohol spread through her body more slowly.

This greater sensitivity to alcohol leaves women more prone to alcohol-related illnesses like cirrhosis of the liver and alcohol-induced brain damage. Other worrisome results show a correlation between heavy drinking among women and their rate of sexual victimization and domestic5 violence. While there have always been reasons for women to be careful when drinking alcohol, this new research gives them even more cause to be aware and play it safe.

许多人认为酒精对女性的影响比男性大得多，原因在于女性普遍体重较轻，而且喝酒的频率也较低。事实虽然如此，研究人员也发现了女性较易为酒精所影响的其他因素。

一项重要的研究显示，女性体内分解酒精的酶不够活跃。这意味着有较多的酒精会进入女性的血液中，再加上女性的身上脂肪较多，造成酒精散布到体内各个部位的速度较慢。

对酒精更为敏感，使得女性更容易罹患像肝硬化等与酒精有关的疾病以及因酒精造成的脑部损害。其他令人担忧的研究结果显示，女性酗酒与遭到性侵害和家庭暴力有着相互关联。虽然要女性对喝酒要小心的理由是多方面的，但这项新研究就更需要她们小心，以防不测。