Asian Glow Can Cause Cancer

According to this New York Times article, my so called "Asian glow" from consuming alcohol can kill me, sort of.

The redness is a result of an enzyme deficiency called ALDH2 and affects a large population of the Asian race. Because the deficiency causes the alcohol to not metabolize correctly, the toxin, acetaldehyde, accumulates in the body. This can result in esophageal cancer (also caused by smoking), with survival rates being very low.

The article suggest reduce drinking can prevent the cancer cells from building up and thus, avoiding the cancer effect. There is a test you can take to test whether you are ALDH2 deficient.

I do get the rapid heart beat symptom often, but sometimes I get beet red and sometimes I do not get red at all. I wonder if I am starting to build a tolerance to the effect. Either way, I have already cut back a lot on my alcohol consumption, so I am not too worried. But I do worry for all my other Asian glowing friends. Go get checked out!

[image courtesy of freephoto1]