Women`s Stress Hormone System is Less Sensitive to Alcohol
Research by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, has revealed that the female body reacts differently to significant doses of alcohol. Specifically, their stress hormone system shows reduced sensitivity to alcohol. According to the authors of the study, published in “Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research,” this may explain the faster development of alcohol tolerance in women.
In a laboratory experiment, 66 young volunteers, including 35 women, consumed a dose of alcohol equivalent to a heavy drinking session. Scientists meticulously measured their blood alcohol levels, blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate, and the concentration of key stress hormones such as cortisol and ACTH.
The results indicated that even at the same level of alcohol intoxication, women exhibited lower cortisol production compared to men. Furthermore, differences in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system were observed: men`s blood pressure increased significantly more in response to alcohol consumption. Notably, these gender differences persisted even after excluding participants who were taking hormonal contraceptives.
The researchers hypothesize that the reduced sensitivity of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) system in women may represent an evolutionary mechanism. This could act as a “buffer” to lessen the negative impact of stress, especially during pregnancy. However, this same adaptive reduction in sensitivity might inadvertently accelerate the development of alcohol dependence, as the subjective perception of its effects becomes blunted.
It should be noted that researchers previously highlighted a concerning trend: the increasing prevalence of excessive alcohol consumption among older adults, particularly noticeable among women.
