This Graph Shows The Ages Men And Women Drink The Most Alcohol

Those of us pushing 30 know our bodies can't handle alcohol like they used to.

Our drinking habits are in for a drastic change now that we've passed our peak, and new research conducted in the UK has revealed just how far we're about to stray from the days of taking Irish Car Bombs until 4 am.

The following chart constructed by the Washington Post shows the ages when men and women drink the most in addition to the rates of alcohol consumption as years go by.

Researchers used data from nine UK studies to determine that men drink the most at 25 with 13 drinks per week compared to women, who reach their peak at 40 but with just four drinks per week.

UK women apparently don't drink anywhere near as much as the men do, which may explain why they maintain relatively the same rate of consumption for several decades.

And while older men may no longer be able to pound six beers in one night, researchers found, this doesn't mean they are necessarily devoting less time to drinking.

The authors said,

Frequent drinking (daily or most days of the week) became more common during mid to older age, most notably among men.

This could be considered good news because having just a drink or two a day has been linked to numerous health improvements, particularly in the cardiovascular department.

These are rewards that most people will be reaping.

The team added,

Non-drinkers were uncommon, particularly among men, where the proportion remained under 10 percent until old age, when it rose to above 20 percent among those aged over 90.

Keep in mind that previous studies have shown drinking is much more popular in the UK than in the US, where up to 30 percent of the population reportedly does not drink at all.

This research was originally published in the journal BMC Medicine.

Citations: The average number of drinks men and women have at every age (The Washington Post)