Health Tips / Blood Alcohol
Diagnosis and Symptons
Alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream from the both the stomach wall and the small intestine. 90% of our alcohol intake is removed from the body by metabolism in the liver by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Every hour, the average persons liver can metabolise one unit of alcohol (about 12ml or 10g of pure alcohol). The remaining 10% of alcohol consumed leaves the body in our urine, sweat or breath.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is the measure of the amount of alcohol in a person's bloodstream and is thus a useful indication of how drunk they are. Two people who drink the same amount may have different BACs. This is because the BAC not only depends on the number of drinks and the concentration of alcohol in those drinks but also on:
- How quickly you drink; the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme can only metabolise alcohol at a certain rate, so the faster you drink the higher your BAC becomes.
- If you have eaten, food will slow down the rate at which alcohol passes into the stomach and therefore those who have eaten prior to drinking alcohol will have a lower BAC than those who drink on a empty stomach.
- The health of your liver; unhealthy livers have lower amounts of alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme and thus alcohol is removed from the blood stream at a slower rate.
- Your size and build; smaller people after the same alcohol intake will have a higher BAC than larger people as the alcohol is concentrated within a smaller body mass.
- Percentage of body fat: Those with higher body fat levels will have higher BACs. Alcohol is not absorbed into fatty tissue but remains more concentrated in the water portion of the body.
- Male or Female. After similar alcohol intake women will have higher blood alcohol concentrations than men.
Further information on Drinking is available at www.yourdrinking.ie
