Yale Daily News

Updated: Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:35 p.m.

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Alcohol enzymes differ across Asian groups

Staff Reporter
Published Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Kenneth Kidd, professor of genetics, psychiatry and ecology and evolutionary biology, chuckles softly as he explains that the “Asian flush” is actually rooted in science.

“We all have East Asian friends who turn bright red with alcohol,” Kidd said.

The reason for this “flushing reaction,” he explained, is that many Asians carry variants of genes regulating alcohol metabolism that make them feel uncomfortable or even ill when drinking small amounts of alcohol. Because of environmental change, evolution in East Asian communities sometime over the past few thousand years...

#1 By Ihave14Words 12:48a.m. on September 1, 2008

Here is a video called 10 fallacies of race denial. It deals with the reality of race.

#2 By Nancy A. 5:26p.m. on August 20, 2009

This article striked more curiosity in me. I'm 23 years old and my ethnic background consists of half S.Korean and half European. I drink alcohol occassionally and still experience the "glow" and get buzzed very easily. Also when drinking any hard alcohol I get almost red and feel awful just after a drink or two.

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