A unit of alcohol the same as a glass in eyes of women who drink too much

Some women are drinking too much because they don't understand that a glass is more than a unit. Photo / Getty Images

Middle-aged women are drinking three times as much alcohol as they should be, new research suggests.

Many are counting one unit as one glass, even if it contains a third of a bottle of wine, experts claim.

More than a quarter of women aged between 40 and 65 years old drink between five and 16 glasses each week.

Five per cent admitted to drinking more than 16 alcohol drinks over a week.

But although government guidelines state we should stick to no more than 14 units a week, many women are assuming this means 14 glasses.

A survey of 2000 middle-aged British women found many believed a pint of beer or large glass of wine was the equivalent of just one unit.

However, a 250ml glass of wine can contain as many as 3.5 units and a strong pint of beer can contain three units.

Experts think some women drink more than they should because they do not understand alcohol units. Photo / Getty Images

The research could serve as a warning to many who may be too indulgent over the festive season.

Sara Stewart, who conducted the survey as part of research for a book, said: "A lot of women saw large glasses of wine, that contain as much as a third of a bottle, as the equivalent of one unit.

"Because they didn't know what a unit was, many thought a glass of whatever size, was a unit."

Stewart, who has previously worked as a volunteer with Alcohol Concern, said women over 40 often ended up struggling with alcoholism.

The survey also revealed interesting findings on the drinking habits of middle-aged women.

About 46 per cent said they drank wine or lager, but nearly one in 10 admitted to drinking spirits on a night out.

More than half said they drank on their own regularly, but five per cent claimed they only did so after a bad day of work.

Nearly 45 per cent said they only get drunk a couple of times a year, while five per cent claimed they do so every week.

The survey described "drunk" as a state in which participants could not stand up.

And most disturbingly, witnessing the effects of alcohol abuse appeared to have no impact on participants' own drinking habits.

Stewart, author of Whilst I Was Out, undertook the research as background to her book about a woman who drinks to compensate for her disastrous marriage.