00:00Amir, tell me this. Why do women get worse hangovers? What's going on there?
00:04This is really interesting. So the enzyme that breaks down alcohol is called alcohol dehydrogenase.
00:10So women have less of it than men do. So they take longer to break down alcohol.
00:14So alcohol is floating around their bodies more. So they're more likely to feel the effects of alcohol and then get a hangover the following day as well.
00:21They also have less circulating blood so that alcohol is more concentrated.
00:26But estrogen again plays a part. Estrogen makes that alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme more efficient at breaking down alcohol.
00:34So actually, when you look at the menstrual cycle for the first kind of two weeks of the menstrual cycle, your estrogen levels are on the up.
00:40So you're more effective at breaking down alcohol. So you're less likely to get drunk, less likely to get a hangover.
00:45But the second half, when estrogen levels drop, you're more likely to get drunk, more likely to get a hangover.
00:50And it's true after the menopause as well. You might not be able to enjoy the drinks that you used to when you were younger
00:56because your estrogen levels are lower. You don't break down alcohol as efficiently and you're more likely to get a hangover too.
