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"Asian Flush" Red Flag for Risk of Cancer →
When we drink, enzymes in our livers metabolize alcohol into acetaldehyde - a toxic chemical and carcinogen - before converting it into acetate - a harmless substance. The “Asian flush” / “Asian glow” affects approximately 1/3 of people of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent and is caused by a deficiency in the alcohol-metabolizing enzyme ALDH2. People with the Asian glow have trouble metabolizing acetaldehyde into acetate and when they drink, the build-up of acetaldehyde causes to vasodilation - seen as the face turning red. Symptoms are so severe for people with two copies of the deficient gene that they cannot tolerate alcohol at all and simply avoid drinking altogether. People with just one copy of the deficient gene are actually at greater risk, because they put up with the mild symptoms of heart palpitations and Asian glow - and will attempt to drink as much as other people. The Asian glow is not merely an issue of appearance or a cause of embarrassment at parties and gatherings, however. People with the Asian glow are up to 10 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer from drinking just 2 beers a day than people who are able to metabolize alcohol properly.
Chinese New Year is just around the corner - for those without the Asian glow, please drink in moderation; for those with the Asian glow, drink 1/10 that amount.
When we drink, enzymes in our livers metabolize alcohol into acetaldehyde - a toxic chemical and carcinogen - before converting it into acetate - a harmless substance. The “Asian flush” / “Asian glow” affects approximately 1/3 of people of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent and is caused by a deficiency in the alcohol-metabolizing enzyme ALDH2. People with the Asian glow have trouble metabolizing acetaldehyde into acetate and when they drink, the build-up of acetaldehyde causes to vasodilation - seen as the face turning red. Symptoms are so severe for people with two copies of the deficient gene that they cannot tolerate alcohol at all and simply avoid drinking altogether. People with just one copy of the deficient gene are actually at greater risk, because they put up with the mild symptoms of heart palpitations and Asian glow - and will attempt to drink as much as other people. The Asian glow is not merely an issue of appearance or a cause of embarrassment at parties and gatherings, however. People with the Asian glow are up to 10 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer from drinking just 2 beers a day than people who are able to metabolize alcohol properly.
Chinese New Year is just around the corner - for those without the Asian glow, please drink in moderation; for those with the Asian glow, drink 1/10 that amount.
