What is a standard drink?
This is not the drink that
you would have regularly but rather a standard measure of alcohol and it is
needed so that you can have a fairly accurate idea of how much alcohol you
have consumed. We need to know this so that we do not go over the limit when
driving, for dietary concerns and for our general health and wellbeing.
The standard drink
By definition a standard
drink contains 10grams of pure alcohol. This will roughly equate to:
-
1 X 100ml glass of table
wine
-
1X 60 ml glass of
fortified wine / port or sherry
-
285mL glass of normal
strength beer
Wine labels will present
the equivalent number of standard drinks it contains but you should remember
that this is a guide only and there can be variations.
The body treats alcohol
through:.
-
Absorption
-
Distribution
-
Metabolism
-
Elimination
Absorption
occurs very rapidly through
the stomach, small intestine and the colon. The time from the last drink to
its maximum concentration in the blood will vary from 30 – 90 minutes.
Alcohol is absorbed faster with carbonated drinks due to the bubbles
presenting a greater surface area in the stomach. This is why sparkling
wines tend to give us a faster and perceived greater affect yet often having
less alcohol than a still wine.
Distribution
of the alcohol after absorption in the blood is relatively uniform and will
travel to all body tissue. Alcohol will also enter the breast milk and
travel across the placenta to a developing foetus.
A physiological gender
difference is responsible for the difference between the recommended amount
of standard drinks to be consumed for a man and a woman.
|
|
Number of Standard
Drinks |
|
|
1st Hour
|
Each Hour After |
Female
|
1 |
1 |
Male
|
2 |
1 |
Alcohol is water-soluble
and fat insoluble. The male body has a higher ratio of water to fat in the
blood than a woman and can therefore distribute the alcohol to tissue more
effectively and quickly.
Women having a higher
percentage of fat to water will diffuse the alcohol more slowly. Alcohol
stays in the blood longer and the effects of the alcohol are prolonged when
compared to that of a man.
Metabolism is
another area of gender difference. The male liver contains a higher
percentage of alcohol dehydrogenase (responsible for the metabolism,
breakdown, of alcohol in the liver) than a woman and can therefore
metabolise the alcohol at a faster rate.
The liver is responsible
for 90-98% of the metabolism of alcohol.
Elimination of the
remainder of the alcohol consumed, 2 –10%, is through the kidneys (urine),
lungs (breath) and a small amount through skin pores (sweat).
Taste
award winning local wines today at ILNAM Estate
ILNAM Estate is
a unique tourist attraction as we are the only winery on
the Tweed. ILNAM Estate Winery is located just 20 minutes from the Gold Coast
Airport, 40 minutes from Surfers Paradise and only 1 hour 20 minutes from
Brisbane.
ILNAM ESTATE WINERY- 750 Carool Road,
Carool NSW- Ph (07) 5590 7703
