Why don't you get drunk when you drink alcohol? Why don't they sometimes get drunk from alcohol? How not to get drunk at feasts

02.08.2020

Everyone knows that when drinking a large amount of alcohol, intoxication occurs. This condition is characterized by some signs that are not difficult to notice in a drunk person. Basically, this is a weaving of the tongue during a conversation, slurred thoughtless speech caused by a lack of brain function, as well as a “wagging gait”. However, recently many "experienced" alcoholics began to notice that they no longer get drunk from a bottle of wine or beer. In this regard, many people have a question: why did I stop getting drunk from a large dose of alcohol? After all, until recently everything was fine, but now drunk alcoholic beverages do not deliver euphoria and do not bring any pleasure.

It is important to note that if a person has stopped getting drunk from any alcoholic drink, this is not entirely good. Why don't you get drunk when you drink alcohol? The answer to this question will be clear after getting acquainted with the work of the body after taking a large dose of alcohol.

Currently, there are a large number of ways in which you can learn how to drink and not get drunk, as well as why intoxication does not occur after drinking alcohol. After all, you see, if a person wants to, he can practically not get drunk from the alcohol that he drinks at a festive event. But not everyone wants to be sober after such a rest, so it is important to understand why intoxication does not occur if you have drunk a considerable dose of alcohol?

To answer this question, you need to figure out what processes occur in the body after drinking alcohol, and how it affects human systems:

Immediately after alcohol enters the stomach, it begins to be actively absorbed into the blood, where red blood cells begin to act on it as a defense system. As a result, alcohol destroys their shell and mixes with the blood, after which it begins to be carried along with the blood stream.
Since the blood flow gradually moves through all systems of the human body, after mixing with alcohol, coordination is disturbed in a person, as a result of which the work of the brain is affected and suffers first. That is why drunk people notice dizziness, improved mood, or are unable to properly focus their thoughts.

However, it is important to note that the effect of happiness during intoxication is not the action of the hormone serotonin (hormone of happiness), it is only a temporary state of a drunk person, which will pass soon.

As a result of the action of alcohol, a person feels like "the wine has gone to his head." In fact, this phrase sounds more than true. The fact is that damaged red blood cells, penetrating along with the blood flow, destroy parts of the human brain, and also kill thousands of neurons. In this regard, it can be noted that intoxication is an unstable state in which a large number of neurons die. And scientists have long established that such a particle as a neuron does not have a recovery function.

What happens in the human body after the death of neurons? At normal body temperature (36-37 degrees), dead brain tissue begins to decompose. As a result, small reddish bumps are formed in it, similar to abscesses, inside of which there is rot (a liquid white substance). After that, the body should by all means get rid of this neoplasm: for this, it uses the cerebrospinal fluid, which completes its current just in the brain. It is thanks to her that dead cells are completely dissolved, while making strong pressure on the cerebral cortex. This pressure is just pressing headaches that a person feels in the morning.

After the process of intoxication and its consequences on the body have become clear, you can understand why you don’t get drunk from drinking alcohol and what to do if the body stops perceiving alcohol?

Along with smoking and drugs, which also cause the death of neurons, the increasing effect of alcohol on the body causes the destruction of brain cells. As a result, it is poisoned, which leads to wrinkling of the bark. People who drink alcohol regularly for 4 years have several thousand times fewer neurons than people who avoid alcohol. As a result, a person no longer feels intoxicated, because the destruction of dead neurons is carried out in a smaller amount, as these cells in the brain become less and less. And since they are not restored, the death of neurons occurs in smaller numbers.

In this regard, it is worth answering the question - how alcoholics can talk, move, and generally exist in such a state. In fact, this is not due to the "mind", but with the help of the body's ability to survive in different conditions, and also to strive for life. However, such a person is no longer able to think, think and engage in serious business.

Now the answer to the question - why do not you get drunk from a large dose of alcohol, is known, but it is worth knowing why some people, on the contrary, get drunk quickly, even if they drink a small dose of alcohol.

In this case, it is worth considering several factors, thanks to which it will be possible to safely answer this question:

In order not to get drunk for a long time, you need to have a sufficient amount of "dense" snacks. Therefore, if you do not have potatoes and other hearty dishes on your table, intoxication will come a little earlier.
A person feels a quick intoxication due to his weight - the smaller his body weight, the faster the alcohol will act. Doctors say that only 0.8 g of ethanol will be enough per kilogram of weight.
People under 20 get drunk much earlier, because their bodies are not yet fully developed and do not take large doses of alcohol, compared to 30 year olds.
If a person is physically weak, he will get drunk faster than people involved in the port.

Currently, there are many options to deceive the body and not get drunk in a short time:

Try to move more and constantly go out into the fresh air, especially when you are already quite full;
Strong alcoholic drinks must be eaten with hot snacks;
A few hours before the fun, drink 2 tablespoons of oil or eat something fatty: a piece of meat, a sandwich with butter, and so on;
Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach;
For 2-3 hours, you can take activated charcoal (3-5 tablets), which absorb a large part of the alcohol

Also, the duration of the action of alcohol directly depends on its type - it is known that you get drunk later from beer and champagne than from wine or vodka. And if you are an "experienced alcoholic", then a small dose of any alcoholic product will not have any effect on you.

Alcohol is a product whose consumption causes intoxication. There are no situations in which a person can drink alcohol and not get drunk. It’s just that the amount of alcohol needed to lose sobriety is determined individually and not only based on the dose. It depends on the metabolic rate and the composition of liver enzymes.

The effect of alcohol on the body

Alcoholic beverages contain varying amounts of ethanol. It is this substance that contributes to the appearance of intoxication. The mechanisms of action on the body are realized through the breakdown products of ethyl, their penetration through the blood-brain barrier. A person releases dopamine, there is a feeling of euphoria. Then the toxic product of the breakdown of alcohol, acetaldehyde, begins to affect the brain cells. Together with dopamine, it forms a morphine-like substance, activates the inhibitory mediator GABA.

The amount of alcohol that gets drunk depends on the person, on the speed of the enzyme systems in the liver. The average dose for intoxication starts from 0.3 liters of a low-alcohol drink (for example, beer) and from 20 grams of strong alcohol. The amount of "necessary" alcohol in the blood - from 0.5 ppm. Lose sobriety faster from low-alcohol carbonated cocktails within the first 15-20 minutes.

Why can a person drink and not get drunk

Drinking for a long time and not getting drunk even from vodka is possible thanks to a combination of two main enzymes responsible for the breakdown of alcohol. If a person has a large amount of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, ethanol is converted faster. It turns into acetaldehyde and does not cause intoxication itself, it only has a toxic effect on brain cells and other organ systems. The second enzyme is acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. If two enzymes are abundant, the person will not get drunk from alcohol and will not feel hangover.

The amount of alcohol dehydrogenase may increase due to the constant use of ethyl. Addiction to alcohol entails the body's resistance, resistance to low dosages. An increase in ADH leads to a decrease in ACDH, and abstinence develops after a feast.

Factors that allow you to get drunk more slowly:

excess weight and young age;
a hearty meal before a feast;
emotional uplift while drinking alcohol, which speeds up metabolism;
normal water balance.

Additional kilograms allow you not to lose your head due to the binding of alcohol to lipids and its slow conversion in the body.

An overweight male drinks more alcohol than a female and does not get drunk. This is due to the amount of ADH in the liver and in the gastrointestinal tract. The speed of work or the number of enzyme systems cannot be changed. But rapid metabolic processes that can be influenced are one of the main explanations for why a person can drink and not get drunk.

How to drink and not get drunk

There are several ways to deceive your own body in order to increase the amount of alcohol you drink and not get drunk (gender-sensitive):

drink each glass or stack of drink with a glass of cool non-carbonated water;
half an hour before the feast, drink the age dose of activated charcoal and two tablets of Pancreatin;
before drinking alcohol, eat high-calorie foods (potatoes, meat), they should not be fatty.

It is recommended to get enough sleep and come in a good mood. At the beginning of the evening, it is worth choosing one drink and drinking it. You can not mix different types of alcohol with each other, increase or decrease the degree. Drink products based on natural raw materials (beer, wine, cognac). You should not drink low-alcohol and carbonated types of alcohol, eat them with cakes, desserts. You can periodically clear the stomach of the contents during the evening, independently causing a gag reflex no later than half an hour after drinking the drink.

Alcohol affects people in different ways. Some drink without measure and do not get drunk, for others one glass is enough to experience the intoxicating effect of ethyl alcohol. The degree of intoxication depends on age, gender, health status. People who drink and do not experience symptoms of alcohol intoxication for a long time are worried about the question of why you do not get drunk from alcohol. Rare lucky ones can boast individual features organism.

We are talking about the low susceptibility of the central nervous system to ethyl alcohol. In the average citizen, ethanol quickly enters the bloodstream and gains access to the brain. At the same time, the concentration of the hormone dopamine increases, which causes a feeling of happiness and pleasure. However, the euphoria does not last long. The effect of alcohol and its decay products on the nervous system is expressed in eloquent symptoms:

Inadequate behavior, provoked by a violation of the balance of inhibition and excitation of the elements of the nervous system. Overstimulation of the nervous system provokes a person to act unreasonably, contrary to generally accepted norms of behavior. Instincts dominate the mind.
Deterioration of mental function. Parts of the brain that are responsible for rational, logical thinking are turned off.
Scattered attention.
Difficulty in perceiving external information. Drunk slowly decrypts data that come from the organs of sight, hearing, smell and touch.
Increased physical activity against the background of impaired coordination of movements.

Indifference to the surrounding reality, a sharp change in mood, inhibition of thought processes are signs of regular abuse of alcohol-containing drinks. If a person does not get drunk from alcohol, he wonders why this is happening. The loss of a sense of joy and euphoria, which usually accompanies the intake of a regular dose of alcohol, forces one to look for reasonable explanations for the changes taking place.

The effect of ethyl alcohol on the functions and systems of the body

Many people start drinking to experience the sense of relaxation and fun that alcohol initially provides. If a portion of a strong drink does not bring the desired effect, impossible to avoid obsessive thoughts like “why am I not drunk” and “what is wrong with me”. To understand the topic, you need to understand the mechanism of the effect of ethyl alcohol on the body.

Physiological processes involving and under the action of ethanol proceed in stages:

Stage 1. After entering the stomach, alcohol is actively absorbed into the blood. Erythrocytes are blood cells that play the role of oxygen transporters to tissues and are involved in immune reactions. The cell membranes of erythrocytes are destroyed under the action of ethanol, which mixes with blood cells and quickly enters the tissues of internal organs. Because of the broken outer shell red blood cells stick together. Several glued cells form blood clots.

Stage 2. Having reached the brain cells, ethyl alcohol destroys them. Accelerated production of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins provokes positive emotions, enthusiasm and cheerful mood. Pleasant sensations are short-lived. Soon the stormy delight is replaced by a feeling depression and sadness. The reason for the sharp change in the psycho-emotional background lies in the destruction of brain neurons. Blood clots from red blood cells clog blood vessels, oxygen ceases to flow into the brain tissue, oxygen starvation begins - hypoxia. Next comes tissue death cerebral cortex.

Stage 3. Damaged brain cells are unable to repair themselves. They die irrevocably. The decomposition of dead tissue areas leads to a protective reaction of the body. The cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the cranium dissolves dead and hazardous components. The fluid accumulation process causes pain in my head. That's why people get unbearable headaches when they're hungover.

After a fair dose of alcohol drunk the day before, a person is haunted by a feeling of dry mouth. Thirst is provoked by dehydration due to the need to remove dead neurons and alcohol breakdown products from the body. Each new portion of ethanol leads to the irreversible death of the next batch of neurons.

Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages results in personality degradation, loss of self-esteem, mental abilities, memory function, the ability to objectively assess the situation and find rational solutions. When a person does not get drunk from alcohol, he begins to look for reasons and tries to understand why this happens.

Reasons why a person does not get drunk from alcohol

The culture of drinking implies rules - do not mix drinks of different strengths, give up tobacco products, do not drink soda with vodka. If a person is familiar with them, it is easier for him to stay sober longer than other members of the company. The body provides protective system, which resists the negative effects of toxic elements. From the initial stage - entry into the bloodstream, until the removal of decay products, ethanol meets all the way obstacle chain:

Decomposition by enzymes.
Blood-brain barrier.
The protective reaction of brain receptors, which, when a large dose of alcohol enters the bloodstream, turns off consciousness a person, immersing him in a physiological state similar to sleep.

The better the defense mechanisms work, the longer the drinking person remains sober. This is why some people do not get drunk on alcohol, while others quickly succumb to its effects. Some of the processes occurring in the body are not subject to adjustment. Genetic predisposition, heredity and the level of production of enzymes that are responsible for the metabolism of ethanol cannot be changed. But some ways will help you stay sober longer during the feast.

What factors can slow down the reaction:

Established resilience. When alcoholism enters the second stage of development, resistance to ethanol increases. The acquired property of the body indicates regressive changes that have occurred in the nervous system. Due to the death of a large number of neurons in the cerebral cortex, the vagus nerve stops transmitting signals to the areas responsible for the corresponding reactions. This is why an alcoholic does not get drunk from alcohol. If a person does not stop abusing alcohol-containing drinks, he facing serious complications- metal-alcohol psychosis and coma as a result of an overdose.

genetic predisposition. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is involved in the breakdown of ethanol, oxidizing alcohols to ketones and aldehydes. Different people have different amounts of the enzyme. Residents of southern countries and regions from birth produce more alcohol dehydrogenase than the northern peoples. A daily glass of wine for a Moldovan or Georgian does not entail negative consequences associated with severe intoxication or alcohol addiction. What can not be said about the representatives of the peoples of the Far North, who instantly get drunk and drink too much in the shortest possible time.

Specific snack. Some foods inhibit the effect of alcohol on the body. Ethanol enters the blood through the stomach, duodenum and small intestine. The speed of the absorption process depends on the volume and quality of food that is being digested at that moment in the gastrointestinal tract. Fatty food (lard, fatty meat, vegetable and butter) slows down the flow ethyl alcohol into the blood. In order not to get drunk longer, some people specially drink 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or 4-5 tablets of activated charcoal before a feast with alcoholic drinks. If you eat a heavy meal before drinking alcoholic beverages, the state of intoxication will come significantly later than usual.

Ambient temperature. At low temperatures, blood vessels constrict, metabolism slows down. Man drinking vodka on the street frost in winter, does not get drunk for a long time.

state of stress. Under stress, the level of the hormone rises sharply adrenaline which is produced in response to external threats. The hormone provokes the mobilization of all the forces of the body. The enzymatic system that breaks down alcohol works faster, so the intoxicating effect of ethanol is reduced.

Anthropometric parameters. How long a person who drinks alcohol will remain sober depends on the height and weight values. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is a specific liver enzyme. But a small amount of alcohol dehydrogenase is found in skeletal muscle, where the enzyme is also involved in the breakdown of ethyl alcohol. The more muscle mass person, the less toxic effect alcohol has on him.

If a person does not get drunk from alcohol, this is a serious reason to think about the state of health and alcohol addiction. To prevent irreversible changes in the brain, cardiovascular system, liver and other organs, it is better Seek medical attention in a timely manner. The specialist will conduct an examination and, if necessary, suggest a course of treatment.

Many people throughout their lives have experienced such a state as intoxication. It is characterized by the appearance of slurred speech, slowing down of the brain, the presence of an unsteady gait. One person gets drunk from a glass of alcohol, the other looks sober even after a liter - it happens that a person may not get drunk from alcohol.

The effect of alcohol on the body

In order to understand in detail the reasons why people do not feel intoxicated after drinking alcoholic beverages, you need to initially understand what processes occur in the body under the influence of ethanol.

After entering the stomach, ethanol begins to be absorbed into the blood. Red blood cells (erythrocytes), which are part of the body's defense system, surrender under the pressure of toxic substances present in alcohol. Ethanol breaks red blood cells and mixes with blood cells. Thanks to blood circulation, alcohol quickly spreads throughout the body, affecting all systems and organs, and reaches the brain. A person feels signs of intoxication: mild dizziness, improved mood, unsteady gait, speech disturbances and reduced reflexes.

Reasons why a person may not get drunk

It happens that some people, taking alcohol, do not get drunk. This is a rather unusual phenomenon, which is associated with the following reasons:

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Individual characteristics of a person.
The degree of fast or slow intoxication depends on the weight of the person. For example, overweight people have a thick layer of fat on their bodies. Cells quickly absorb ethanol, as a result - rapid intoxication.
However, if a large weight of a person is associated with a large physique, then such a person, on the contrary, does not get drunk for a long time.
Age also affects the degree of intoxication. For example, in old age there is a weakening of body functions, resulting in rapid intoxication. But young people are able to drink large amounts of alcohol and not get drunk for a long time. Also, in fast or slow intoxication, the sex of a person also plays a role (women are more susceptible to the effects of alcoholic beverages).
The presence of alcohol dehydrogenase in the body.
This enzyme, whose action accelerates the breakdown of ethanol, manifests itself in different ways in the human body. It depends on the speed of intoxication.
Refusal of sweets.
Sweets (sweets, fruits) are often offered as snacks for many alcoholic drinks. Due to the fact that sugar and alcohol are processed in the same section of the liver, there is a slowdown in the processing of alcohol. And this entails a faster intoxication. And if a person did not eat sweets while drinking alcohol, then he gets drunk much more slowly.
General health.
A weakened immune system, a sedentary lifestyle, the presence of chronic diseases provoke rapid intoxication. Therefore, if a person is completely healthy, then alcohol is rapidly processed by the liver, and the process of intoxication slows down.
Metabolism.
In the case of a fast metabolism, a person gets drunk almost instantly, which cannot be said about people with slow metabolic processes.

body addiction

In connection with the use of alcohol for a long time, there is a mass death of brain cells, wrinkling of the cortex of the hemispheres begins, its size becomes smaller. As a result, complete immunity to alcoholic products is formed. A person does not feel intoxicated, which leads to a slow death of neurons, because there are already a small number of them left.

If at this stage a person who has long suffered from alcoholism decides to start treatment, then it is difficult for him to return to a normal lifestyle. This is explained by the fact that due to the death of brain cells, intellectual abilities are significantly reduced, and a person no longer thinks as intelligently as before the start of alcohol abuse.

Enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase

After the penetration of alcoholic beverages into the body with toxic substances, the liver immediately begins to fight. It actively produces an enzyme such as alcohol dehydrogenase. It carries out an oxidizing effect on ethyl alcohol, creating from it such end products of decomposition as water and vinegar.

The production and action of this enzyme occurs differently for everyone. There is an opinion that the most active substance is synthesized in the body of the peoples of the south, since they have been growing vineyards there for a long time, and people have been drinking sweet wine since childhood.

Regarding the northern peoples, alcohol dehydrogenase is practically not produced in their body. In this regard, the northerners quickly get drunk and become alcoholics.

A number of experts noted that dependence on alcoholic beverages begins to develop among northern peoples after drinking 100-200 grams of strong alcohol.

Also, the production of the described enzyme depends on a number of other factors:

age group: the older the person, the worse alcohol dehydrogenase is produced, respectively, the disposal of toxic substances is greatly complicated;
gender: in men, the production of the enzyme is much better than in women.

It should be understood that the more alcohol a person consumes, the lower the intensity of the formation of alcohol dehydrogenase.

There are two types of alcohol dehydrogenase - fast and passive, which transform the ethanol present in alcohol into toxic acetaldehyde. This substance, even when taking a small amount of alcohol for a long time, is in the body and has a toxic effect on all organs.

With rapid alcohol dehydrogenase, an accelerated increase in the content of toxins in the blood occurs, and the stages of intoxication, sobering up and hangover come at the same pace. Addiction to alcoholic beverages develops slowly.

With passive alcohol dehydrogenase, unprocessed ethanol remains in the blood for a long time. This leads to late intoxication and sobering up. Addiction to alcohol occurs in a short time.

Alcohol consumption by different peoples

Among the inhabitants of Eastern Europe, an active form of alcohol dehydrogenase is present in only 3-8%. Among the Russians, this figure reaches 10%, and among the Chuvash - 18%.

But among the inhabitants of Western Europe, the described enzyme is absent in almost everyone. The only exception is the Swedes. In their nationality, the number of people with an active enzyme also reaches 10%.

A particularly interesting point is that among the inhabitants of Moscow, 41% have an active form of alcohol dehydrogenase, as a result of which they can drink and not get drunk.

Only 2% of the inhabitants of Africa, Europe and Siberia have a slow alcohol dehydrogenase, so the citizens of these countries cope with a hangover faster. But they still do not have such protection against hard drinking as the representatives of East Asia.

Preparation for events and behavior during a feast

If a celebration awaits a person, at which a drink is ahead, then in order not to get drunk for a long time, a number of actions can be taken in advance:

Directly at the event, a person who drinks alcohol can slow down the process of intoxication using the following manipulations:

It is recommended to drink high quality alcohol. The more expensive the drink, the less components it contains that provoke intoxication and reduce self-control. It has been noted that people get drunk much more from self-made moonshine than from vodka created according to technology and having an appropriate degree.
It is undesirable to combine alcohol-containing drinks. Each person has a different reaction to mixing different types of alcohol. For example, some people begin to feel bad after the joint use of vodka and wine, while others - cognac and beer. The combination of champagne with other alcohol immediately causes intoxication, since carbon dioxide increases the absorption of ethanol into the bloodstream.
Strong drinks are recommended to have a snack with a large amount of hot food. At the same time, you need to refrain from overeating, otherwise an additional load on the digestive system is created.
You don't have to keep alcohol in your mouth. This is because alcohol enters the blood through both the stomach and the blood vessels present in the mouth. Therefore, if you hold a drink in your mouth for a long time, there is an instant penetration of alcohol into the brain, practically bypassing the liver and stomach.

There are several reasons why a person does not get drunk from alcohol. At best, this is due to actions taken to prevent intoxication, and at worst, it is an addiction to alcohol, indicating the presence of a serious dependence on alcoholic beverages. Therefore, if alcohol does not affect a person in any way, you should immediately contact a narcologist who will select an individual treatment and control the patient.

Article reading time: 2 minutes

Why I drink and don't get drunk from alcohol

It is already known to everyone that after drinking alcohol, a person becomes drunk. It is difficult not to distinguish a tipsy drunk from a sober one - slurred speech, unsteady gait, a specific smell. The degree of intoxication varies from person to person. It depends on many factors: age, gender, health, the amount of alcohol consumed, and even in what mood a person picked up a glass.

But there are situations that ethanol does not affect the personality. And even after a plentiful libation, the intoxicant does not take it. For what reasons did alcohol suddenly cease to bring euphoria, a feeling of relaxation, why does a person not get drunk from alcohol? What does this mean and is this syndrome dangerous for health?

Alcohol and the human body

In order to deal with such a strange situation that deprives a person of a coveted intoxicating feeling, it is necessary to find out what intoxication depends on. What processes occur in the body under the influence of ethanol?

As soon as ethyl alcohol is in the stomach, active processes of its absorption into the bloodstream begin.
Erythrocytes (red blood cells), which are part of the body's defense system, fail before toxic alcohol exposure. Ethanol breaks their outer coating and successfully mixes with blood cells. The bloodstream quickly carries ethyl alcohol through the internal systems and organs.
Once in the cells of the brain, ethanol has a detrimental effect on them. As a result, a person experiences feelings of intoxication - slight dizziness, increased mood, unsteady gait, decreased reflexes and problems with speech.

The feeling of joy and euphoria is the result of the activity of the hormones serotonin, dopamine and endorphin. These neurotransmitters are responsible for the manifestation of joy, pleasure and good mood in humans.

But in the case of intoxication, a surge in the activity of these compounds is a short-term state. In place of stormy fun against the background of intoxication comes lethargy, weakness and melancholy. The fact is that erythrocytes destroyed by ethyl alcohol, getting into the brain sections with the bloodstream, ruthlessly destroy brain neurons.

Intoxication is an extremely changeable state, accompanied by the death of many thousands of nerve brain cells. Moreover, damaged receptors are no longer able to recover - they are destroyed forever. What happens next?

decomposition of dead parts of the brain begins;
in the affected areas, small bumps-vesicles with liquid putrefactive contents are formed;
the body is trying with all its might to get rid of neoplasms, using cerebrospinal fluid;
due to this, dead and dead cells dissolve, provoking powerful pressure on the cerebral cortex.

This pressure leads to the appearance of an unbearable headache that visits a drunk person every morning. Migraines are among the most common hangover symptoms.

This is how the process of intoxication happens. What if it doesn't come? What happens to the body, because some people puzzle themselves with the question of why I drink and do not get drunk from alcohol. Let's figure it out.

Reason 1: "trained"

As a result of prolonged addiction to alcohol-containing products and the massive destruction of brain cells, the cerebral cortex shrinks, decreasing in size. By the way, the same reaction, along with alcoholism, causes tobacco and drug addiction.

It has been established that if a person regularly consumes alcohol for 4-5 years, the number of neurons in his brain decreases by several thousand. And the medulla itself becomes 2-3 times smaller in comparison with the brain of a healthy, non-drinking person.

What happens in this case? The result is a person's complete immunity to alcohol. A person does not feel a feeling of drunkenness, because the death of the surviving neurons is no longer so fast, there are too few of them left.

Since these brain receptors are no longer restored after their death, their death occurs at a slower pace. But how then do alcoholics who have drunk their brains live, walk, communicate, feel something? The fact is that this is due to the unique features of the human body to exist in extreme conditions.

But no matter how much the body that suffered from prolonged drunkenness strives for a normal existence, a person suffering from alcoholism is no longer able to solve serious problems. The level of intelligence of such people is much weaker. And alcohol addicts can no longer think rationally as well as it was with a sober lifestyle.

Reason 2: "game of genes"

Trying to explain why you don’t get drunk from alcohol, you can also look for reasons in heredity. But first, let's go over some physiology. When toxic alcohol enters the body, the first person to start trying to fight the toxic environment is the liver.

The body actively begins to produce a special enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. This compound oxidizes ethyl alcohol, bringing it to the end products of decomposition: acetic acid and water..

In small doses, ethyl alcohol can play the role of a natural metabolite, since when it is broken down, it forms energy. But at high doses, ethanol turns into a powerful poison.

This enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) may not be produced by all people. Most of all it is observed in the organisms of southern peoples. After all, vineyards have been grown there since ancient times, and people have been drinking natural grape wine since childhood.

But the peoples of the north cannot boast in this regard. Their body is genetically programmed for a small release of alcohol dehydrogenase. By the way, some indigenous northerners do not produce this enzyme at all. That is why such nationalities as the Yakuts, Nenets, Saami, Chukchi, Khanty instantly become alcoholics.

And dependence among northerners is developed even after 100-200 g of alcohol. Well, the logical result is the development of the body's tolerance (and rather fast) to alcohol itself and its further immunity.

If you do not belong to the peoples of the North, then the inability to get drunk after taking a dose of alcohol should seriously alert you. This suggests that it is high time to visit a narcologist and treat alcohol addiction, which is rapidly progressing.

Why don't some people get drunk on alcohol?

Quite often, one can observe a situation where the same amount of alcohol consumed causes completely different responses. Some people practically do not get drunk from alcohol, others get drunk with a single glass. This is due to many factors, such as: individual characteristics, gender, age, race, quantity and frequency of drinking strong drinks. There are cases when ethanol ceases to cause a feeling of euphoria, and even increasing its amount, the situation does not change. It is required to understand in more detail why some people do not get drunk from alcohol.

The effect of alcohol on the body

The main target of the toxic substance is the brain. At the same time, alcohol affects many organs and systems, including blood cells. Red blood cells responsible for the transport of hemoglobin begin to lyse - dissolve. Additionally, the lumen of the vessels, blood viscosity changes, which leads to the formation of blood clots, consisting of all formed elements. When a person drinks, the delivery of oxygen is difficult, and some areas of the cortex are exposed to ischemia as a result of blockage of small vessels. The brain suffers the most from the state of oxygen starvation. This causes a deviation from normal work, perceived as intoxication: communication barriers disappear, there is a feeling of euphoria, muscle relaxation, coordination and perception change.

Intoxication and euphoria are associated with the activation of the inhibitory effect of the central nervous system: the nerve impulse slows down - the person relaxes and gets drunk. Alcohol breakdown products interact with brain mediators, causing an effect similar to drug use. An additional factor is the death of brain neurons, as a result of which the thinking organ does not have time to redistribute incoming impulses: there is a loss of coordination of movement and speech, consciousness is turned off.

Some scientists, when asked why a person no longer gets drunk, answer that the bulk of the brain cells have already died. With each subsequent use of ethanol, less and less intact areas remain, the remaining neurons are not able to respond adequately to the action of the poison.

Metabolic processes, the role of enzymes

To understand why some people get drunk faster than others, you need to understand the effect of ethyl alcohol on the body, as well as the disposal process.

The biochemical breakdown of alcohol occurs with the participation of two main enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). The first splits the ethanol molecule to another toxic substance - acetaldehyde, the second utilizes the poison, redirects it to the chain of normal biochemical processes. Regarding the rate of saturation of the body with alcohol, these two enzymes play a decisive role. There are three options for their relationship:

both enzymes are slow. This structure is expressed in Asians, as a result of which splitting occurs very slowly. Even a small amount of drinking causes a feeling of addiction;
both enzymes are fast. The presence of this combination allows you not to get drunk for a very long time;
the first enzyme is fast and the second is slow. In this case, people can not get drunk for a long time. But there is a downside - oversaturation with the amount of toxic acetaldehyde causes a terrible morning hangover. Unfortunately, this type is often found among Russians.

Factors that change the speed of intoxication

There are well-known categories of people who are more affected by alcohol:

young age, when enzymatic systems are not developed properly;
older people: the rate of metabolic processes slows down, alcohol is excreted and processed longer;
the female sex, which is considered more fragile, has less weight. And most importantly - women do not have ADH of the stomach, all the poison is processed only in the liver. In men, the splitting process begins earlier - in the digestive tract, which means they do not get drunk longer;
low body weight. The rate of saturation with poison directly depends on kilograms: the lower the weight, the faster each cell will receive its “dose”;
representatives of the Asian race - have a specific structure of enzymes, due to which the effect of drinking alcohol comes almost immediately.

An important role is played by the speed of consumption, the strength of drinks, the quality of alcohol, the presence or absence of food, and the emotional state.

For a person who is in a state of intense stress, alcohol has a lesser effect. In a relaxed environment, the process of intoxication occurs faster.

Negative sides

The transformation of strong drinks is a rather difficult process that affects the entire body as a whole. Breaking down alcohol, the liver consumes energy, uses coenzymes, the course and direction of the biochemical process changes:

the formation of fatty acids increases - fatty degeneration of the organ starts. Up to a certain point, the process is reversible; upon transition to cirrhosis, the organ loses its functional activity. The liver stops processing poisons: at first people drink without feeling relaxed, then the body becomes oversaturated - severe intoxication may develop;
lactate oxidation and, consequently, the formation of glucose, the main substrate for brain nutrition, are reduced. There is a powerful starvation of the body. Considering the fact that many alcoholics are diabetics, and alcohol consumption reduces the concentration of glucose in the blood and depletes liver glycogen stores, hypoglycemic coma may develop;
ketone bodies are formed in excessive amounts, in conditions of starvation of the brain they become the main source of energy. The buffer composition of the blood changes, acetone accumulates, vomiting occurs, loss of consciousness up to coma.

What is MEOS

The body has a reserve station for the utilization of ethanol: the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS). Normally, it almost does not participate in the exchange of ethanol, but is included in the work with chronic abuse - alcoholism. The negative side is an increase in the intermediate toxic product - acetaldehyde. Another consequence of system activation is the development of tolerance to an excessive dose of alcohol. That's why you don't get drunk on alcohol when you're addicted. Tolerance is not limited to strong drinks: when MEOS is not busy processing alcohol, many drugs in the usual dosage do not have the desired effect.

When drugs and ethanol interact, the oxidizing system breaks down alcoholic beverages in priority, so a small concentration of the drug can lead to death.

It is important to monitor the change in a person's reaction to alcohol. Excessively rapid satiety in a subject may be indicative of developing cirrhosis. And the sharp appearance of resistance to alcohol is a reason to turn to a narcologist for advice.

Why don't I get drunk from alcohol or get drunk very quickly?

Why do people get drunk after drinking?

To answer this question, you need to figure out what processes occur in the body after drinking alcohol, and how it affects human systems:

Immediately after alcohol enters the stomach, it begins to be actively absorbed into the blood, where red blood cells begin to act on it as a defense system. As a result, alcohol destroys their shell and mixes with the blood, after which it begins to be carried along with the blood stream.
Since the blood flow gradually moves through all systems of the human body, after mixing with alcohol, coordination is disturbed in a person, as a result of which the work of the brain is affected and suffers first. That is why drunk people notice dizziness, improved mood, or are unable to properly focus their thoughts.

However, it is important to note that the effect of happiness during intoxication is not the action of the hormone serotonin (hormone of happiness), it is only a temporary state of a drunk person, which will pass soon.

Why do people stop getting drunk from alcohol?

Why do you get drunk quickly from alcohol?

In this case, it is worth considering several factors, thanks to which it will be possible to safely answer this question:

In order not to get drunk for a long time, you need to have a sufficient amount of "dense" snacks. Therefore, if you do not have potatoes and other hearty dishes on your table, intoxication will come a little earlier.
A person feels a quick intoxication due to his weight - the smaller his body weight, the faster the alcohol will act. Doctors say that only 0.8 g of ethanol will be enough per kilogram of weight.
People under 20 get drunk much earlier, because their bodies are not yet fully developed and do not take large doses of alcohol, compared to 30 year olds.
If a person is physically weak, he will get drunk faster than people involved in the port.

Currently, there are many options to deceive the body and not get drunk in a short time:

Try to move more and constantly go out into the fresh air, especially when you are already quite full;
Strong alcoholic drinks must be eaten with hot snacks;
A few hours before the fun, drink 2 tablespoons of oil or eat something fatty: a piece of meat, a sandwich with butter, and so on;
Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach;
For 2-3 hours, you can take activated charcoal (3-5 tablets), which absorb a large part of the alcohol