asian flush

As many as one in two persons of Asian descent possess non-functional copies of the liver enzyme (ALDH-2) needed to process acetaldehyde. Even a single cocktail can lead to Asian flush, a painful and embarrassing condition resulting from acetaldehyde levels shooting up 6 to 20 times that of people with normal ALDH-2. This burst of acetaldehyde triggers facial flushing, elevated heart rate, headache, nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Although most with this condition view it as a minor inconvenience, it has been suggested that those with alcohol flush reaction may be at higher risk for alcohol related conditions such as liver disease, asthma, and cancer of the esophagus. Among flushers who are heavy drinkers the incidence of upper gastrointestinal tract cancer is about 50 times higher than normal. Higher rates of head and neck cancer have also been noted. A functional shot/mixer supplement (Google: "Cheerz IntelliShot Asian flush") has garnered strong anecdotal evidence of efficacy against this condition.