Drinking games: How much do you really know about alcohol?

It's nearly time for beers in the summer sun, but how clued up are you on the impact alcohol has? Photo / Getty Images

Summer is well and truly upon us. And with it, the increase in social occasions that, more often than not, involve alcohol.

While most New Zealanders enjoy a summer drink, it turns out we aren't necessarily as savvy as we might think when it comes to understanding the affects of alcohol consumption.

The average human liver can only process 10 grams of alcohol per hour, the amount that constitutes one standard drink. According to a nationwide survey conducted by The Tomorrow Project, while an estimated 80 per cent of Kiwis may have heard about standard drinks, only 25 per cent of us can explain what, exactly, that term means.

So if we don't understand how the standard drink calculation works, can we properly manage how we consume alcohol?

(Learn more here.)

Jude Walter, from Lion's education programme Alcohol&Me, says New Zealanders need to think before they drink: "Because we're all different, think about how many drinks it takes before you start to feel impacted by what you are drinking.

"The best way to make the good times last when you are out and about socialising this summer is to remember to eat well, keep count of your standard drinks, give your body time to process them and have plenty of water to pace yourself and stay hydrated."

While getting clued up on how much alcohol you should be consuming in a certain time frame is important, it's also interesting to note the impact drinking has on us as we age.

Can't drink like you used to?

Alcohol in your 20s

If you feel like you used to be able to have a night out with little to no impact the following day, that's because young people tend to have a higher muscle mass, with a high water content which means you were able to better absorb the excess alcohol in your system.

However, in your early 20s your brain is not yet fully developed, so regular alcohol consumption can result in impaired brain development.

You're 40

When you reach your 40s, your system contains less water and with less water there is a higher concentration of alcohol in your blood.

Your muscle mass is also decreasing and and the bad news is, it's being replaced by fat. Alcohol and fat don't mix so there is less room for the alcohol to spread out. Instead, it centres itself on our vital organs and we feel an increased effect.

You're 60+

People in the 60 and over age bracket are even less tolerant to alcohol because they have less of the enzyme (ADH) that breaks down alcohol in our systems.

People with certain health conditions are at an even higher risk if they consume alcohol because it can interact with different medications, which are also processed in the liver.