We all know that some people can handle their alcohol better than others. It’s a phenomenon you’ve probably noticed in your friendship group: one friend might be able to work through three glasses of wine and barely feel a thing while another might start to get woozy as soon as the first few sips pass their lips.

Many factors play into your overall tolerance. Some of these are fixed; men tend to have a higher alcohol tolerance than women, for example, and the lower your body weight, the more you tend to be affected by the alcohol you drink. 

But the volume of alcohol you drink – and how regularly you reach for a glass of wine or a pint – can also lead to an increase or decrease in your overall tolerance.

It’s for this reason why experts tend to recommend caution when you drink for the first time after taking a break. But just how big of a difference can taking some time of drinking have on your alcohol tolerance?  

When we use the words ‘alcohol tolerance’, we’re referring to the body’s ability to handle the short-term effects of alcohol. This means that the receptors in your brain (including the receptors responsible for producing GABA, a neurotransmitter responsible for slowing down your nervous system and making you feel relaxed) adapt to compensate for the impact alcohol has on the body’s ability to function.

It’s for this reason why you’re less likely to experience symptoms such as sickness or difficulty speaking or maintaining balance, because your body isn’t responding to the alcohol in the same way.

On the surface, that might sound like a good thing – after all, no one likes throwing up after a big night out – but reaching a high level of alcohol tolerance is one of the biggest risk factors in alcohol dependence. When your brain gets used to your regular drinking habits, you may feel the need to drink alcohol to feel normal, because your body has adapted to need that alcoholic input.

The large quantities of alcohol you need to consume to feel the effects can also increase your risk of alcohol-related diseases, including fatty liver disease, as a higher alcohol tolerance means you’ll need to drink more to feel the effect, raising your blood alcohol level.  

In the same way that regular drinking will increase your tolerance to alcohol, abstaining from alcohol altogether for a period will force your body to adapt to another ‘new normal’.

At first, that might feel uncomfortable – regular alcohol tolerance can lead to a reduction in GABA production, which, in turn, can lead to feelings of anxiety – but over time, things will start to improve. 

“When you abstain from alcohol, you’ll see an improvement in things like your skin, sleep and mental clarity within weeks,” explains Dr Katie Tryon, director of health and strategy at Vitality. “These changes can give an incredible boost to your overall mood and boost the likelihood of you sustaining healthy habits for the long run.”

These changes will also mean that your alcohol tolerance decreases, so you’re more likely to feel the effects. “If you start drinking again, it can start affecting your body – even after one drink,” Dr Tryon adds. “More than anything, you’ll probably notice a drop in your tolerance where you feel drunker faster.” 

If you decide to go back to drinking after taking some time off, you should exercise some caution. Just because you remember how much you could drink before, it doesn’t mean your body does – so it’s a good idea to take things slow and be extra aware of how you’re feeling.

To get started, Dr Tryon recommends adopting the following tips:

1. Don’t celebrate with a binge

“Avoid drinking too much within a short space of time as it makes it a lot harder for your body to process alcohol,” Dr Tryon says.

This is especially true if you’re drinking drinks with a higher alcohol content, such as shots of spirits or big glasses of wine. You could always try a few non-alcoholic drinks among alcoholic ones to ease yourself back in.

Try mindful drinking

If you want to start drinking again but want to avoid the awful side effects that come with it, then try a more mindful approach to alcohol consumption.

“You should also try to keep an eye on how much you’re consuming, set yourself limits and try to drink slowly to give your body time to work through the alcohol,” she says.

“Alternating between water and alcoholic drinks is an excellent way to do this. Not only will it help keep you hydrated, reducing some of the unwanted side effects of alcohol, but it’ll also give your body time to process the alcohol.

3. Build healthy habits

Ultimately, Dr Tryon says, you want to make sure you give your body time to realise what’s going on and respond accordingly. A small glass of wine here or there won’t do you any harm, but you don’t want to go on a big night out with friends straight after a period of abstinence.  

“The key is not to view your drinking break as a stepping stone to a binge once you return to drinking, but as a chance to create long-lasting, healthier habits,” she adds.

“Rather than making a drastic change and refraining from going out and socialising as you would any other month of the year, try to carry on as normal. For example, if your friends are going out for dinner or going to the pub, you can still go along and opt for a soft drink.

“That way, by the time you return to drinking alcohol, you won’t feel such a dramatic shift and feel the need to binge drink. By continuing to live your life as much the same as possible, it’s more likely you’ll be able to sustain these positive habits and develop a healthier relationship with alcohol.” 

Images: Getty