“I’m not even tipsy and my face is already red…Why?!”

Appearing red sometime after the very first drink that embarrassing situation has a scientific explanation. And it is not drunkenness… Time to bust the myth! The Alcohol Flush Reaction This red face syndrome is actually called the Alcohol Flush Reaction (AFR), commonly referred as the “Asian flush” or “Asian glow”, for it is frequent among this population. Over 500 million people worldwide suffer from it, and less than 40% of them having this reaction to alcohol are Asian descent. Metabolic deficiency When consumed, alcohol is oxidized into acetaldehyde and then broken into acetate. People with Alcohol Flush Reaction are genetically deficient to metabolize this last step. This genetic deficiency is particularly present among Chinese, Japanese and Korean ancestry. The AFR results then from a temporary accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body. Effects of acetaldehyde: The red neck For a while the concentration of acetaldehyde increases and causes the blood vessel to dilate. Your face becomes red and hot. The symptoms can be seen on the back, the neck and the upper torso as well. Don’t worry! It’s not a matter of what type of alcohol you drink; it’s matter of genetic! If you experience alcohol flush reaction drink responsively, there is no cure to it… But why worry! Embrace your glow! Just in case you want to prevent people calling you “tomato face”, just avoid high alcohol content drinks. -

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