Why alcohol hits your body harder as you age, even if you're drinking the same amount

Dry January is prompting many Americans to face the sobering reality that their bodies may no longer shrug off a night of drinking as they used to — and experts say the shift often begins earlier than expected.

Many people feel the difference as early as their late 30s and early 40s, according to Dr. Meena Malhotra, an Illinois-based internal medicine and obesity physician.

"The body processes alcohol differently even if the diet or the habits haven't changed," Malhotra told Fox News Digital.