Medical Center Tips

You think you’re a lightweight? I almost got drunk of a slice of rum cheesecake.  Wait- how is that possible?Hey guys, Chastity here filling in for D News.  I don’t know about you, but when it comes to drinking, I’m the queen of lightweights.  I’ve been known to get drunk off of one mixed drink. When I drink even a small amount of alcohol, my face turns red almost instantly.  See, my friends have been making fun of me for it for years, but I’m putting it to an end now, with SCIENCE!The condition is called Alcohol Flush Reaction, or AFR.  It’s pretty easy to tell when you’ve got it, since your face turns crazy red after drinking.  Other than facial flushing, symptoms of AFR include flushing of the neck or other parts of the body, heightened heart rate,headaches, and nausea.  Now this is even after as little as one drink. AFR is also known as the “Asian glow” or “Asian Flush”, although Asians are not the only ones who suffer from it.  Over 500 million people worldwide experience flushre actions, with between 36 to 50% of them being of East Asian decent. Alcohol is typically metabolized in the liver, where it first oxidized to acetaldehyde and then to acetate. People with AFR carry a genetic mutation that disables this process.  They have an inheriteddeficiency in the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, or (ALDH2). According to a PLOS Medicine study, approximately 8% of the world population is ALDH2 deficient. ALDH2 is the enzyme that converts acetaldehyde.  Without it, we’re left with an accumuation of acetaldehyde up to 10 times the normal concentration!According to Robert Swift, a physician and researcher at Brown University, Acetaldehyde is like formaldehyde, which is embalming fluid.  It destroys proteins, and It destroys DNA. "Pretty nasty stuff, so imagine not being able to break that down! Bam! Flushed faces, racing hearts, instant drunkenness. Unfortunately, there is no cure for AFR since it’s a genetic issue.  The only way to prevent flush reaction is to avoid alcohol completely.  But come on, that’s probably not going to happen. So if you still want to drink but suffer from AFR, here are some tips to cope with it, courtesy of Health Xchange: 1 - Drink moderately.  That’s two drinks for men and one drink for women per day.  2 - Avoid binge drinking.  As a cue, wait until the redness subsides before having another drink. 3 - Pick drinks with less alcohol content.  4 - Eat before and/or while you drink.  Fatty foods and carbs can slow down the rate of alcohol absorption. and 5 - Drink plenty of water and/or non-alcoholic drinks.  Flush it out and quench your thirst. Also as a pro tip - if you’ve got the flush, don’t wear red while drinking.  You’ll end up looking like a giant tomato. Got any other tips or interesting drinking stories?Share them in the comments below, and I’ll catch you next time.  Thanks for watching!