One of my most popular posts to date is my article explaining the basic science behind alcohol induced skin flushing in Asians, also known as “Asian Glow.” I recently came across a video from Vox explaining this science in a fun and accurate video (I say accurate because a lot of times social media gets the scientific facts wrong!). Check it out!
What scares me the most is the fact that Asians who glow with booze are more likely to develop esophageal cancer because we’re more susceptible to the toxic by-products of alcohol which our bodies aren’t equipped with to properly break down. A new study published in the last few months found that mice with the same enzyme mutation as many East Asians were more susceptible to liver damage and liver cancer when exposed to carcinogens (not directly alcohol) as well.
With that in mind, don’t forget the key takeaway from my previous post on this topic:
My advice is to listen to your body: if you start feeling sick with high heartrate, dizziness, nausea, total body itching and flushing, you need to stop ingesting more alcohol at that point. Also, if you glow with liquor, be safe and drink in moderation.Glowing is your body’s way of telling you that you’re not built to handle large quantities of alcohol and that you are at risk of developing cancer with excessive alcohol use. So even if Pepsid helps control your flushing, it will not prevent you from experiencing the cumulative carcinogenic effects of alcohol. I will say it again: drink in moderation.
Leave a Reply