Do you get uncomfortable symptoms like sickness, a red flushed face, or an increase in body heat after drinking alcohol? If you do, you may have a genetic deficiency known as the ‘ALDH2 Deficiency’, around 1/10 people around the world struggle with this same genetic condition, so in this article, we will be going over the common symptoms, what causes this deficiency, who gets the ALDH2 deficiency and how it can affect your health.
We will also be going over how you can use our alcohol flush patches to help reduce the effects of the ALDH2 deficiency.
So, What is The ALDH2 Enzyme and What Does It Do?
The ALDH2 enzyme also known as aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, plays a very important role in the metabolism of alcohol. It's found all over the body, but mainly active in the liver.
Its main role is to break down acetaldehyde, which is a toxic by-product of alcohol. People who have ALDH2 deficiency are not able to break acetaldehyde and turn it into acetic acid, which can result in embarrassing and uncomfortable symptoms such as headaches, red flushed skin, and nausea.
What is The ALDH2 Deficiency and Why Does It Happen?
The ALDH2 deficiency is a genetic condition that reduces the effectiveness of the enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2. This results in the build-up of the toxic by-product of alcohol, resulting in symptoms like a flushed red face/neck/chest, migraines, and increased body temperature.
Most human livers contain 2 important enzymes:
Cytosolic ALDH1
Mitochondrial ALDH2
Although around 8% of people in the world do not have the ALDH2 enzyme. This means millions of people around the world struggle to properly break down the toxins of alcohol effectively.
This phenomenon is also known as Asian Flush, Asian glow, or alcohol flush. Whilst around 30-40% of east asians get Asian flush, you don't have to be asian to have this missing enzyme.
We created patches containing healthy vitamins and antioxidants that help to break down the alcohol in the body resulting in a reduction of the usual symptoms of alcohol flush/ALDH2 deficiency. Simply apply the patches 45-60 minutes before drinking and enjoy your night out
ALDH2 Deficiency Symptoms
When the leftover toxin in alcohol is not broken down it can lead to a lot of unwanted problems and symptoms. When this happens it can cause some or all of the following problems:
Flushed face
Increased heart rate
Difficulty breathing
Increased body temperature
Hives
Nausea
Headaches
Migraines
Bloodshot eyes
Sickness
These symptoms can start to occur just after a few sips of alcohol and can vary in intensity depending on the person and how much alcohol they have consumed.
While the above symptoms can be an annoyance or uncomfortable to someone who just wants to drink alcohol. There are actually more serious issues that come with having the ALDH2 deficiency. Whilst research into this topic is limited, the research that has been done shows that this genetic deficiency can lead to different cancers.
This research is for more long-term drinkers who have consistent acetaldehyde exposure. The research inks long-term exposure to cancers like esophageal cancer (Throat cancer).
ALDH2 Deficiency / Asian Flush Test
Testing to see if you have the ALDH2 deficiency is pretty easy. You will just need some plasters/band-aid and alcohol.
You simply soak the plaster/band-aid in alcohol then apply the band ad to your skin, leave for 5-10 minutes and if there is a red mark under the band-aid then you have the ALDH2 Deficiency. This test is around 80-90% accurate. For a more detailed test, you can always try a company like Ancestry or 23andme.
ALDH2 Cure?
At this moment in time, there is no cure for the ALDH2 deficiency, its is just about maintaining and controlling the symptoms the best you can. One easy fix is to drink less, if you know you have this genetic condition this is one way to tackle it.
Another way is to try our Alcohol flush patches to help reduce the effects of the ALDH2 deficiency. It works by the abortion of antioxidants and vitamins specifically formulated to break down and detoxify acetaldehyde.
Takeaways from ALDH2 Deficiency - Symptoms, Science and Solutions
There it is, all the things you need to know about the ALDH2 deficiency. We have talked about what this enzyme does and why it's important in the breakdown of alcohol.
We then talked about the many common symptoms of this condition and how they can vary in severity. It can be a great idea to do either the free or paid test to figure out if you are missing this enzyme.
To help fight the symptoms you can use our alcohol flush patches that help reduce the unwanted symptoms of this genetic condition. So you can enjoy your night without worrying about how your body will react to the alcohol.