Is the ability to drink a lot a natural thing?

During festivals, gatherings with friends, and business events, we sometimes need to drink a little. Some people who have a poor alcohol tolerance will blush when they drink, while some people who have a good alcohol tolerance drink as if it were plain water. Are those who have a good alcohol tolerance "gifted"? Can those who have a poor alcohol tolerance improve their alcohol tolerance by practicing more?

Even if you have a good alcohol tolerance, don't drink too much for the sake of your health. It's best not to drink at all!

Whether you can drink alcohol depends on your genes

After alcohol enters the human body, it is mainly metabolized in the liver, converted into acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase, and then converted into acetic acid with the help of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Acetic acid can be converted into water and carbon dioxide.

The amount of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase depends on the ALDH2 gene. If a mutation occurs, the body will lack acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. After drinking, acetaldehyde cannot be converted into acetic acid and accumulates in the body, causing capillary dilation and leading to blushing, that is, drunkenness. This is why some people can drink a lot without getting drunk, while others cannot drink a lot.

Excessive drinking can harm your health

Genes cannot be changed, and trying to improve your drinking capacity through practice is not only impractical but also poses health risks.

1. Excessive drinking can easily lead to alcohol poisoning

People with ALDH2 gene mutations cannot quickly complete the alcohol metabolism process, which causes acetaldehyde to accumulate in the body. Drinking even a small amount of alcohol will cause discomfort such as flushing and rapid heartbeat, and it is more likely to cause damage to organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart, and brain.

ALDH2 gene mutation is very common in East Asians, and the frequency of ALDH2 homozygous mutation is higher in the southeastern coastal areas of mainland China, so southerners generally cannot drink as well as northerners.

2. Excessive drinking increases the risk of cancer

After ALDH2 mutation, the activity of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is reduced, resulting in a large accumulation of acetaldehyde in the liver. Since acetaldehyde is toxic, it can directly damage human DNA, thereby increasing the risk of digestive system cancers such as liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and gastric cancer. People with ALDH2 gene mutations need to reduce drinking to reduce the risk of cancer.

3. Patients with cardiovascular diseases who are not good at drinking should pay extra attention

The ALDH2 gene is closely related to the efficacy of nitroglycerin, the first-line treatment for angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction. Clinical data show that patients with ALDH2 gene mutations have poor efficacy and slow onset of action when using nitroglycerin tablets. The changes in heart rate and systolic blood pressure after taking the tablets are lower than those without mutations, and the dose needs to be increased to achieve therapeutic effects.

In addition, excessive drinking increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, causes digestive tract diseases, damages the liver and leads to abnormal liver function, and in severe cases even alcoholic liver disease.

The CDC reminds everyone that regardless of whether you have a good or bad alcohol tolerance or whether you have gene mutations, drinking excessively has many harmful effects, so we should avoid drinking if we can!