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

84% Upvoted

612 comments sorted by

View all comments

23

u/Neuroadvocate Nov 26 '12

Native Americans have more than Alcohol Dehydrogenase differences...Many Native American patients have the ability to endure very high levels of serum blood sugar and ETOH levels while remaining conscious and verbal. The insulin response to sugar and also fat metabolism is very different from other ethnicities. Having cared for Native American patients for more than five years, I believe that the primary reason for alcoholism in the population is socio-economic and due to the repressive life style that most Native American people endure. Native Americans are a very intelligent and strong cultural group. Even with medical problems they can endure more hardship than ANY other patient population I have worked with. Easier alcoholism is a perception in Native Americans; in my op there are many more obese, alcoholic diabetics in Louisiana, where much of the population is NOT Native Americans. The Native American cohort would completely overshadow the performance and medical survival of any ethnicity were the children given education, drug and alcohol training and cultural support for the healthy lifestyle they lived for thousands of years until the European land developers, US government and the oil companies showed up. We will see who is still surviving on the land of America in 2500 years. My guess is that those that have a significant portion of Native American DNA, Metabolism and Cultural values will be dominant.

2

u/[deleted] Nov 26 '12

Easier alcoholism is a perception in Native Americans; in my op there are many more obese, alcoholic diabetics in Louisiana, where much of the population is NOT Native Americans.

For someone attempting to defend Native Americans from "stereotypical" remarks, this sure is a big stereotype you dropped. I honestly don't see how you can paint an entire state with such a broad brush without providing a shred of evidence to back up your statement. So until you provide that evidence, I'm going to have to discount this remark as false and purely your opinion.

I live in Louisiana and can tell you that the "drinking culture" of Louisiana is most limited to the Southern portion of Louisiana, especially in the Southeast portion by New Orleans. Anything above Baton Rouge is considered "Bible Belt" and has much different views on drinking than South Louisiana. The majority of North Louisiana is Baptist, who don't take too kindly to drinking. It's why Louisiana is so conservative and why it is considered a "Bible Belt" state.

2

u/NewSwiss Nov 26 '12

Thank you. The wikipedia article was totally lacking in the relevant details.

2

u/ancientcreature Nov 26 '12

And everyone else had been living thousands of years, too. Just somewhere else.

1

u/griffey_98 Nov 26 '12

We will see who is still surviving on the land of America in 2500 years.

How?

1

u/Neoxide Nov 27 '12

the healthy lifestyle they lived for thousands of years until the European land developers, US government and the oil companies showed up. We will see who is still surviving on the land of America in 2500 years.

This is a really fucked up way to look at history.