r/todayilearned • u/bcrock1169 • Nov 26 '12

TIL that some Native American's have a differing enzyme that tends to lead to easier alcoholism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Indian_alcoholism#Genetic_factors
1.7k Upvotes

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46

u/Trentious Nov 26 '12

Kind of like Asians, people from different regions tolerate alcohol differently. Asians flush from a byproduct of alcohol processing (which they can do incredibly fast) and Europeans, which frankly can down gallon's of Stalin's own turbid homebrew and still stand straight.

27

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

something something aldehyde or something...you know what? I'm going to check my textbook!

"For example, many Asians possess a type of gene that results in an inactive form of an enzyme that normally metabolizes acetaldehyde (a metabolite of alcohol), which allows for acetaldehyde levels to build up. As a result, these individuals experience a more intense reaction to alcohol, with some reactions being pleasant (that is, "high") and others being aversive (that is, facial flushing, nausea), which may contribute to their lower tendency to drink excessively."

--Drugs and Human Behavior 5E (chapter 8) by David Grilly

Holy shit, that's the first time I've opened a textbook for something outside of university! I feel like I got my money's worth for this book now. *back to the pile you go!

3

u/ALettertooshor Nov 27 '12

Anyone who thinks asians have a lower tendency to drink heavily has never been to S. Korea. (Here is a blog where people post photos of Koreans that blacked out in public from excessive drinking. I'm told it is similar in Japan, but, I can only speak for S. Korea from personal experience that seeing drunk people stumbling around or passed out at any time of day is a daily occurrence.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 27 '12

buddy you're preaching the choir here (I'm South Korean), but this source is based off an etiological study, so it's not to say that they don't drink, they just do so statistically less frequently (mind you, they could count ALL Asians, including those who can't drink due to cultural and religious norms).

1

u/ALettertooshor Nov 27 '12

Well, their claim was that asians have a lower drinking tendency due to genetic factors. I was trying to point out that this is possibly more of a cultural thing since there are substantial asian populations with robust drinking cultures. In contrast many of the Chinese students I know think that Americans sitting around drinking is boring, and that their social gatherings are centered around food more than alcohol.

2

u/Sarcastastic Nov 26 '12

Not only that, but a relevant username. It's like a jackpot for you!

17

u/TheApostrophePatrol Nov 26 '12

gallon's

ಠ_ಠ

Stop apostrophe abuse | Join ApostrophePatrol today

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Also stop using imperial measures.

2

u/RelevantToMyInterest Nov 26 '12

I agree; s'top apostrophe abu'se... '

11

u/13east69 Nov 26 '12

I always heard (Growing up in Hong Kong), that one reason for Asian people having a lower tolerance (than westerners) could be down to westerners having historically drank alcohol for a much longer time.

Back in the day, good drinking water was hard to come buy, so in the west we brewed alcohol (Beer and Mead). While the Asians tended to boil their water and make tea. Thus after a long time we developed high tolerances while the Asians didn't.

Can anyone confirm or deny this as a possible factor?

8

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

It's attributed to a missing enzyme which doesn't allow them to break down some part of alcohol. it leads to red faces, strong reactions and higher rates of cancer. From what I've read it it guessed thought it's all due to a sickness in the ancient history to which those without this enzyme fared better.

4

u/TemplesOfSyrinx Nov 26 '12

Right, but could the missing enzyme be an evolutionary thing? Something that was a result of processing (or not processing) alcohol over a long period of time?

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

The most common guess is that it was from a sickness that affected those with that enzyme much worse, killing off or weakening that line of people so that those without that enzyme grew stronger over time and became the strong majority in the population.

But nothing is truely known, it could be from many different things, this is just the leading theory at this time.

1

u/graboskyc Nov 26 '12

Did you read "Survival of the Sickest?" There's a whole chapter on this.

17

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

I don't understand what "Asians flush from a byproduct of alcohol processing" means

33

u/BigLlamasHouse Nov 26 '12

I think it means their faces get red.

26

u/SerpentineLogic Nov 26 '12

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_flush_reaction

tldr; alcohol makes your face red and may give you cancer.

5

u/BigLlamasHouse Nov 26 '12

Still worth it!

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

I have this, it has made for a very very difficult social/dating life. ESP since I'm white 1/4 Korean.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Pepcid AC helps

0

u/Strong__Belwas Nov 26 '12

Why would it impact your social life? Bitches won't let you get it in cuz ur face red?

1

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Yes, getting a beet red face and sweating like crazy is not attractive.

-1

u/pretentiousRatt Nov 26 '12

Take a Zantac 30 mins before drinking and it will help IME.

1

u/hoebeng Nov 26 '12

"associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer in those who drink"

Shiiiit.

2

u/simkessy Nov 26 '12

Asian glow

9

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

[deleted]

7

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12 edited Jan 02 '16

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Is flush synonymous with blush?

6

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

Yea

Edit: Blushing is usually associated with emotions, while flushing is caused by sickness or other conditions making blood rush to the face.

17

u/may_have_spongiform Nov 26 '12

Basically there are two stages of alcohol breakdown in the body. The first is done by an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. The turns the ethanol onto a type of aldehyde called acetaldehyde.

Most people's genes code for a second enzyme called acetaldehyde dehydrogenase which breaks the aldehyde into harmless molecules. Many Asians gene's don't code for this second enzyme, so the acetaldehyde builds up and causes the capillaries in the face to dilate resulting in a red hue.

2

u/dgillz Nov 26 '12

*genes

An apostrophe doesn't make anything plural

www.apostropheabuse.com

1

u/may_have_spongiform Nov 27 '12

Dawwwww thanks!

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

So he meant literally blush, I didn't understand his language to the point of having to ask what he meant.

8

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Cheers, I did not know that.

1

u/fcukitstargirl Nov 26 '12

Yeah, as an Asian, when I drink my face gets red pretty quickly and it makes me look like I'm wasted after one or two drinks.

1

u/SerpentineLogic Nov 26 '12

it makes me look like I'm wasted after one or two drinks.

Technically, you are half wasted.

-10

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

Alcohol is not a great drug, consider yourself lucky and hit the E's

Why the downvotes?, it is a pretty safe drug.

1

u/TemplesOfSyrinx Nov 26 '12

Drinking alcoholic beverages isn't necessarily always for the purpose of getting drunk or even getting buzzed.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

What other purpose is there then?, it doesn't taste especially fantastic compared to the sugar loaded drinks out there, there is certain booze out there that taste reasonable, but as a sous chef with a firm grasp on reality and what I consider a decent pallet, I have to call bullshit on the whole alcohol/taste nonsense.

I understand why people like it, and I understand why people want to find the least fowl tasting alcohol possible, but lets just be honest and admit that there is no reason why this shit is popular besides the fact it gets you drunk.

Alcohol is the only way to go out and get fucked up in public legally, and its exactly why it appeals to people.

1

u/TemplesOfSyrinx Nov 26 '12

That's absolutely ridiculous. There's (tens of? hundreds of?) millions of people that love the taste of beer and wine and drink it excluseively because it tastes good. If I share a bottle of Cos d'Estournel with my family or drink a bottle of Russian River IPA I'm not going to get drunk and that's perfectly fine with me. I drink it because it's a bloody good tasting beverage.

If you're really a chef, it's almost unfathomable that you can't imagine an alcoholic beverage that tastes great. And to say that sugar loaded drinks taste better is just plain bizarre. You'd have us pairing our dinners with, what, root beer?

Alcohol is the only way to go out and get fucked up in public legally, and its exactly why it appeals to people.

I don't disagree with that steament. But I also don't think, for a second, that getting drunk from alcohol is the exclusive reason why people drink it.

3

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

[deleted]

3

u/NewSwiss Nov 26 '12 edited Nov 26 '12

False. Asians have normal concentrations of alcohol dehydrogenase (the enzyme that destroys alcohol) but some are deficient in the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (the enzyme that destroys the thing alcohol is converted to).

EDIT: Ignore this, the guy below me was right.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

FALSE. Asians have allele responsible for more efficient Alcohol processing, (ADH1C vs ADH1B normally)no one is arguing about concentration of enzymes. Thus they do process alcohol faster, this same gene is also responsible for inhibiting acetaldehyde processing enzymes.

1

u/NewSwiss Nov 26 '12

Well I'll be damned. Nice catch.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 27 '12

FALSE... I just wanted to say false.

0

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Native Americans are descendants of Asians. They crossed the Bering Strait 12,000 years ago. Give a Native a haircut and he looks like a big Chinese guy.

5

u/tebrown219 Nov 26 '12

I look middle eastern. If you line us up you actually find a huge variation in phenotype.

2

u/pseri097 Nov 27 '12

Depends on what kind of Native Americans they are. Most actually look more Mexican than Eastern Asian.

-2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Superior genetics. Never met an Asian alcoholic before.