Asian Alcohol Intolerance
I've had to explain this to a lot of people over the years, si it's nice to find a medical blurb about this phenomenon:
| Roughly half of all people of east-Asian descent (including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) lack an enzyme necessary for the efficient metabolism of alcohol. For readers who like biology stuff, this enzyme is known as the low-Km aldehyde dehydrogenase isoenzyme, or in short, ADH. The absence of this enzyme is the culprit for your flushed cheeks and feelings of sickness in response to alcohol use. Without this enzyme, the byproduct of alcohol (the toxic aldehyde dehydrogenase) cannot be removed from the bloodstream nearly as well as it is in people who do have the enzyme. The aldehyde accumulates in a person's system as a result because it cannot be broken down as quickly. A person with this condition is likely to experience toxic effects such as flushing, rapid heartbeat, headache, nausea, drowsiness, swelling and skin itchiness. In addition, it is easier to get drunk upon consumption of even just a few alcoholic beverages. While this condition can be seen as an inconvenience, epidemiological studies have shown that because of these adverse side effects, people of Asian descent tend to consume less alcohol, and therefore rates of alcohol use and incidence of alcoholism are lower than those of other ethnic groups. |
So there you have it. I guess that explains why, when I was in Taiwan and some well-meaning relatives made me try Taiwan Beer, I got sick.
Of course, not every Asian has this problem. I know that I do, though! Which makes going out for dinner in Italy kind of weird, since the Italians -- bless 'em! -- can't comprehend why I wouldn't want a glorious Chianti or brunello with my meal. If I tell them I'm alcohol-intolerant (usually I say "allergic" just to make things simpler), I get sad looks of commiseration and flat-out pity...as if I'd just told them I was born without taste buds!