There has been a steady increase in the number of women who drink beer, although this trend is not new. Alcoholism is on the rise among women, although the medical profession has primarily disregarded this trend. Western countries used to be dominated by men in the bar scene, but nowadays, women drink just as much, if not more. Fans of the show Mad Men will remember a period when Don Draper and his associates drank Old Fashioneds and brown liquor at the workplace.
Alcohol producers may do more to appeal to female consumers by altering the way their products are marketed. Unlike in the past, when women were represented as a "butt" in beer commercials, this is no longer the case. Only 5% of beer consumers are women.
Traditionally, males have held the role of primary drinkers, but recently, women have been catching up to them. About a third of all beer consumed in the United States now comes from women, and this trend dates back to the 1980s. Women consume wine at a threefold higher rate than men, while men consume beer at twice as high a rate.
Women should limit their alcohol consumption to one per day, as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends. But remember that alcohol has a more significant effect on a woman's brain than a man's. Therefore, the same amount of alcohol consumed by a man or woman results in the same level of impairment for both sexes. In addition, like males, women are more vulnerable to the health risks associated with alcohol consumption, such as liver damage. However, moderate drinking can help lower the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular disorders, especially for women over fifty.
Because women often have less water and fat than males, they may be more vulnerable to the toxicity of alcohol. They also produce less of the enzyme that helps the body metabolize alcohol, alcohol dehydrogenase. As a result, excessive drinking makes women more susceptible to liver damage than males.
Before Prohibition, women drank wine, cider, and beer only with a doctor's prescription. They also drank punch, which had five distinct flavors thanks to the combination of alcohol, water, citrus, spices, and sugar (spices).
