Research suggests that blushing after a few drinks is a symptom of a genetic mutation and deficiency endemic to Taiwan, not an indication of a strong, healthy liver, as popular legend purports.
Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have found that a tendency to blush after drinking comparatively small quantities of alcohol is indicative of a condition called “aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 deficiency,” also known as “ALDH2 deficiency.”
When ethanol enters the human body, it is converted by a type of enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase to acetaldehyde, which is then converted to acetic acid by aldehyde dehydrogenase-2, or ALDH2.
ALDH2 deficiency is a genetic mutation that prevents the human body from quickly processing acetaldehyde.
The condition is prevalent in Asia and especially in Taiwan, where it manifests in almost half of the the nation’s population.
According to Chen Che-hong (陳哲宏), a senior research scientist at the school, ALDH2 deficiency is a dominant genetic trait common among members of the Han ethnicity, particularly those who originated along China’s coastline.
However, while this condition occurs in about 35 percent of the Chinese population, it occurs in about 47 percent of Taiwanese, the highest in the world, Chen said.
The mutation is not common in Aboriginal communities, he said.
Chen said that the predilection to blush after drinking alcohol occurs when an impeded metabolic system fails to process acetaldehyde, causing the substance to accumulate in the bloodstream.
As a result, blood vessels dilate and the heartbeat speeds up.
He said that the idea that rapid blushing after drinking as a sign of a strong liver is a pernicious myth.
The body’s failure to metabolize acetaldehyde causes headaches, heart palpitations, nausea and hangovers, as well as inducing cancerous mutations in humans, Chen said, adding that the WHO has been keeping it on its list of Group 1 carcinogens for years.
People with ALDH2 deficiency increases the risk of developing mouth and throat cancer by 50 times if they drink two glasses of wine per day, when compared with a person who does not drink, Chen said.
While Western doctors may say that two glasses of red wine are healthy, this does not apply to Taiwanese, due to the prevalence of ALDH2 deficiency, Chen said.
ALDH2 deficiency is easily detected by consuming an alcoholic drink in front of a mirror to check for blushing, a method that is about 90 percent accurate, the researcher said.
Genetic analysis provides the most precise diagnosis, but Chi Mei Hospital in Tainan is the only facility in Taiwan to offer such tests, Chen said.
The government has failed to adequately educate the public about the dangers of acetaldehyde, Chen said, urging authorities to make it a public health priority.
Since tobacco products and alcohol both contain acetaldehyde, Chen said users of those substances should quit them to protect their health.
A new drug designed to activate ALDH2 in the human body is being developed outside Taiwan and has entered phase one clinical trials, Chen said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as