Decisions for drinking are "heavy" if you are a woman - more so than for men. Doctors continue to debate contradictory evidence about how much a woman should drink, can a pregnant woman drink, and how much do genes come into play.

There are a few certain facts when it comes to women and drinking. The risk of disease is clearly higher in women who drink. A woman, drinking the same amount of alcohol as a man, will get drunker and stay drunker longer than a man, because physiologically, women always have less water in their bodies, so the alcohol is less dilute for them. Women also produce less anti-diuretic hormones (ADH) than men. ADH is the molecule responsible for breaking down alcohol so that the body can get rid of it. So alcohol stays in a woman's body longer, too.

Binge Drinking--a bad decision for women
Given the above facts, binge drinking for women is a disaster because, long term, women are more likely than men to develop alcohol-related liver disease and brain damage. They also have a greater risk of developing heart related problems, and they are more prone to alcohol-induced blackouts.

Breast cancer linked to drinking?
There have been numerous studies done trying to link alcohol and breast cancer but there is still no clear answer. As a matter of fact, studies done over the last ten years have shown that there is no correlation between alcohol and breast cancer. However, women who are genetically predisposed to breast cancer should take the indecisiveness seriously enough to be on the safe and drink less.

Pregnancy
There is a definite link between drinking and the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), especially during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Some researchers are even saying that FAS-associated brain damage can result from drinking at any time during a pregnancy. There are still some physicians who will allow a pregnant woman to drink a glass of wine or two once they reach the third trimester. In general, the United States puts forth a precautionary approach to pregnant women drinking advising those who are considering pregnancy and those who are pregnant not to drink at all.

Other side of the coin
There is research that suggests that alcohol does reduce the chance of suffering from type-2 diabetes or dementia, and it's pretty clear that a drink a day can afford some benefits when it comes to fighting cardiovascular disease because it counteracts the narrowing of coronary arteries that comes with aging. But that is confusing because as we age, the water in are body is reduced, and older adults of both sexes reach higher blood-alcohol levels than younger adults who drink the same amount.

Woman to woman advice
Take an honest look at yourself and answer a few questions. Are you a moderate drinker? Keep in mind that the official guidelines by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines moderate as no more than one drink a day for women. And, the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) report that 13 percent of women who drink surpass this one drink limit. The NIAAA also reports that 5.3 million women in the United States drink in a way that threatens their health and safety.

The bottom line is women have to watch their alcohol consumption - be more cautious than men. Those who have breast cancer or alcoholism in their family should seriously consider not drinking at all.

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