Asian glow comes with health risks from cancer to Alzheimer’s

Nearly half of East Asians turn red in the face after consuming as little as a few sips of alcohol. Researchers warn this is more than an embarrassment. It’s associated with a mutation that increases the risk for esophageal cancer 40 to 80 times higher than someone without the mutation, reports the Washington Post.

Scientists say facial coloring is a sign of a deficiency of a liver enzyme called ALDH2. It’s been connected not only to esophageal cancer, but also gastric cancer, breast cancer, coronary artery disease, stroke, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s.

Some have resorted to taking an antihistamine to reduce the flushing of the skin. Researchers warn that does nothing to reduce the risks.

“Taking a drug to prevent alcohol flush reaction basically numbs the unpleasant feeling so you can drink more, which is even more dangerous,” Chen said. “Think of it as your body having a pain sensation to tell you to stop drinking.”

Stanford researcher Daria Mochly-Rosen says about 8 percent of the world’s population, 560 million, have the mutation. She says regularly consuming alcohol -two glasses a day in men and one in women, can be harming the future health of these people.

“Our data suggest that alcohol and Alzheimer’s disease-prone genes may put humans at greater risk of Alzheimer’s onset and progression,” Mochly-Rosen said. “This is based on our patient-derived cell studies and our animal studies, so an epidemiological study in humans should be carried out in the future.”

Some people of European descent also experience flushing. What causes European flushing is not known, according to GB Health Watch.

Interestingly there is a benefit to being ALDH2 deficient. Those who don’t turn red are thought to drink more frequently and more likely to develop heavy drinking problems. Statistical evidence indicates those with the mutation are less likely to become alcoholics.