Miss Brewbird

What is the Asian Glow? | Alcohol Science (3x45)

Air date: Apr 25, 2022

If your face gets red and you feel nauseous and tired after drinking just a little bit of alcohol, then you might suffer from the Asian glow, or Asian Flush Reaction (AFR). This Asian flush occurs because of a common mutation in a key liver enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism called aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, or ALDH2. The mutation means this enzyme doesn’t work properly and this leads to a build up of acetaldehyde, which is a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism. In this explainer video, I explain and demonstrate what it is like to suffer from the Asian Glow.