But have you ever experienced your face turning or feeling red when you drink a*****l? Or do you know someone who does? If yes, then you might want to halt and take a look at this for a very short moment.
The condition of turning red when a*****l is consumed is called A*****l Flush Reaction (AFR). This is a state where an individual flushes not only in the face but in other parts of the body too. This sort of looks like an allergic reaction but it is not. Other terms for this condition are: Asian Flush Syndrome and Asian Glow because of this condition’s common association with Asian people.
Aside from these physical syndromes, other things that a person with this condition would feel if this is triggered are: headaches, nausea, and increased heart rate.
Let me give you an idea of how a*****l runs inside our bodies. A*****l is first metabolized in the liver and this is where it is oxidized into acetaldehyde, later then to acetate.
So the people who have this condition has a deficiency in the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). The ALDH2, an enzyme that is the one responsible for converting acetaldehyde to acetate after which then gets digested normally.
According to a study, people who have this genetic mutation are about 8% in estimation of the total population.
According to Robert Swift, a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour at Brown University, acetaldehyde is something that destroys DNA and proteins inside our body. So imagine it not being able to be converted into acetate; the destructive compound is flushing and flowing throughout our bodies.
The bad news is, there is no cure for this since this is a genetic issue. What we can do to help those people who have this but still can’t resist drinking are these:
- In drinking, do not forget to have water by your side. This helps you flush the a*****l that you intake.
- Eat before drinking as fatty food and carbs slow down the rate of a*****l consumption.
- Drink moderately and try to pick drinks that have less a*****l content.
Now that you know what the real cause of that redness is, try and spread the word to save lives. It destroys proteins and DNA in our body and it gives out bad headaches, nauseas, and increased heart rate too.
Although it is just 8% of the total population, every life in this world is precious. We just hope that one day, no person would be born with this genetic deficiency because hell, who does not love drinking?
