There has been a recent surge of articles in the media about sufferers of alcohol flush reaction being at an alarmingly high risk of certain alcohol related cancers. With nearly everything falling into the category of a ‘cancer risk’ these days, we thought it would be useful to examine all the of the research on the matter and present a clear and concise summary of our findings.
It turns out that our bodies have been trying to tell us something that science is only beginning to understand now. That is, that the consumption of alcohol by people who suffer from alcohol flush can significantly increase their risk of developing certain cancers.
In 2009, the US Department of Health and Human Services cited a study which concluded that alcohol flush sufferers are between 6 to 10 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer as compared to normal drinkers who consume the same amount of alcohol. Moreover, the same study showed that alcohol flush sufferers who drink 33 or more standard drinks a week are 89 times more likely to develop esophageal cancer compared to non-drinkers.
In 2012, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) released a paper which contained further references to these cancer risks. Citing a study released by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), they warned that there is sufficient epidemiological evidence that alcohol flush sufferers have a substantially increased risk of developing cancers in the esophagus and the upper aero-digestive tract.
Clearly, there is an overwhelming consensus amongst international regulatory bodies and scientists regarding the cancer risks associated with alcohol flush reaction. In order to know how to protect yourself, it is first necessary to understand why you are at risk.
Physical Warning Signs
Our physical bodies are the result of countless generations of evolution. Whenever we experience an unpleasant reaction to anything, it is usually our bodies telling us that we shouldn’t be doing whatever it is that we are doing. For example, if you ingest peanuts and experience a rash, swollen face and difficulty breathing, then you’re not going to eat peanuts again, right? This is our bodies telling us to stay away from peanuts.
Similarly, whilst alcohol flush is not quite the same as a peanut allergy, the reaction is still similarly unpleasant. When our body reacts like this to anything, it is explicitly telling us not to do it anymore. But why is our body telling us not to drink alcohol?
One of the problems with suffering from a relatively under-studied condition such as Asian flush is that quality information is hard to come by. As for why this is the case for what is such an overwhelmingly common condition is a mystery. This is why we have decided to bring to light some of the lesser considered aspects of Asian flush and outline some of the dangers facing those who suffer from it.
One can be forgiven for passing off their Asian flush as a harmless reaction that comes and goes with little or no longer term consequence. However, simply because one’s physical symptoms cease to exist does not mean they’re in the clear when it comes to some of the more subversive dangers associated with this condition.
One such danger is poisoning, not from the alcohol per se, but from a little known chemical that is released into our body when it tries to break down the alcohol. This little known chemical is referred to as acetaldehyde and has been classified as a known carcinogen by most of the international cancer research bodies – i.e. it causes cancer.
Ok but everything causes cancer, right? Again, one can be forgiven for dismissing this as yet another cancer warning that is preventing us all from living freely and having a good time. There’s no shortage of carcinogens and keeping track of them all and reducing intake can be a full time pursuit in today’s world. That said, not all carcinogens are the same and, equally, not all people are the same either.
Take the example of sun light. It is a known fact that the sun causes skin cancer. However, a lighter skinned person is at a much higher risk of developing skin cancer from the sun than a darker skinned person. This is because of natural differences in the defense mechanisms of our bodies.
It is exactly the same when it comes to Asian flush and the carcinogenic properties of acetaldehyde.
The Culprit is Acetaldehyde
As we discussed in our article about Asian flush, the reason why we get a red face from drinking alcohol is because of a physiological reaction to a by-product that is produced when our body tries to metabolize alcohol. This by-product is called acetaldehyde, a substance with a chemical backbone very similar to formaldehyde.
In normal drinkers, acetaldehyde is quickly broken down into a harmless substance by an enzyme called ALDH2. However, due to a genetic deficiency in this enzyme, alcohol flush sufferers are unable to break down this toxic substance and our bodies react with the various symptoms to which we’ve become accustomed. This begs the question: what if the swollen red face, headaches, nausea and other symptoms are just the surface of the problem?
Recent studies by the IARC and other independent scientists have confirmed that acetaldehyde associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages is carcinogenic to humans. They go further in presenting evidence that acetaldehyde formed after alcohol consumption latches onto our DNA to form what they call a “DNA adduct”, which interferes with DNA activity in a way linked to an increased risk of cancer.
It is clear from the research that the dangers of acetaldehyde reach further than mere physiological discomfort and the social embarrassment caused by an unsightly red face. There is no doubt that the inability to safely break down acetaldehyde also significantly increases the risk of cancer for people who suffer from alcohol flush reaction. For this reason, it is extremely important not to simply mask the unpleasant physical symptoms and continue consuming alcohol under the impression that everything is OK.
Treatment May Increase the Risk
It seems strange that we’d be writing an article about the dangers of treating Asian flush given that our business is to do exactly that. The reason why we feel compelled to alert everyone to these dangers is that they are real and not many people seem to know about them. It is all well and good to profit in business, but there comes a time when ethics and the well being of your fellow Asian flush suffer should prevail. This is one of those times.
If you or any of your friends suffer from this condition, you’re probably well aware that there are many products available that will alleviate the facial redness that we all find embarrassing and annoying. Whether in pill form or liquid shot, the primary goal of most of these products is to prevent unwanted symptoms, similar to taking a painkiller to reduce a fever or headache. The treatment itself doesn’t address the underlying problem, but instead masks a reaction so that it ceases to cause discomfort for the sufferer.
This is all well and good if you simply want to go about your drinking unhindered by an unpleasant reaction, but we seldom stop to think whether masking the reaction is actually the right thing to do.
The human body is a highly sophisticated system that has evolved over countless millennia to look after itself. If we eat food that has gone rotten our bodies will make us vomit it out. Similarly, if someone who is allergic to peanuts accidentally eats a peanut, the body reacts violently as if to say “please don’t do that!”. It is clear from from this that our bodies know a lot of if things that our minds have yet to comprehend.
We’ve explained in previous articles that the Asian flush disorder is not an allergy per se, but rather a toxic reaction to a by-product of the metabolic process our bodies undergo when processing alcohol. Nevertheless, this reaction is our body telling us that we’re doing something wrong.
How to Minimize the Risk
If you want to safeguard yourself against this risk then the best thing you can do is stop drinking alcohol. The same can be said about sugar, meat, mobile phones, etc. If you want to protect yourself from the cancer causing risks caused by these things, the best thing to do is to cut them out of your life. That said, it is understandable that many people will not want to do this and the same can be said about alcohol.
The entire social fabric of today’s society revolves around the consumption of alcohol. Whether it be a gathering of friends or a professional business meeting, sometimes avoiding alcohol altogether can have other social repercussions.
The key here is simply to be aware of the risks and we hope that our article has helped you achieve this end. If you would like to continue drinking alcohol without experiencing the unwanted side effects of Asian flush then by all means please give our 6-step Asian flush treatment program a try. But in doing so, please remember that you will merely be reducing your risk and not eliminating it. Furthermore, by masking the symptoms so well, you run the risk of becoming complacent and overlooking your body’s natural warning signal of a potential health risk.
We sincerely hope you take something from this article and please share it with everyone you know so that we can increase the awareness of this lesser talked about risk.