Do People of Asian Descent Have Difficulty Metabolizing Alcohol?
Some people of Asian descent have noticed that they have difficulty handling alcohol, expressed by excessive facial redness, sweating, increased body temperature, and a higher heart rate after consuming a small amount of alcohol. This syndrome is called “Asian flush” and can be deeply embarrassing, especially if it arrives unexpectedly. This causes many people to think that people of Asian descent cannot process alcohol, although this is not strictly true. Asian flush can affect non-Asians as well, but the genetic mutation that causes it is much more common among people of Asian descent.
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