Simple observations in places like public bars or restaurants can suggest that women in general feel the effects of alcohol faster than men. But while most people argue that it is all about the difference of sizes between the two sexes, studies suggest it has more to do with body composition.

According to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, it found that in women levels of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase, a compound that breaks down alcohol, are on average nearly half what they are in men. It also found that the amount of alcohol metabolized after its first passage through a woman's liver and stomach is 23 percent of what it is in men.

As a result of the study, it proves that women who drink heavily develop cirrhosis and other alcohol-induced conditions sooner than male drinkers. Women simply metabolize alcohol differently from men. The study also shows the those who have a preference of one or two drinks a day have lower risks of heart attacks than those who don't.