Is drinking ability hereditary?

Everyone's alcohol tolerance is different. Some people can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, while others pass out after just one drink. Alcohol tolerance is not something that can be trained; it is somewhat hereditary. A little alcohol can make you happy, but too much can harm your body. Alcohol is now a very common drink in social occasions, but you must be careful not to drive after drinking. This article introduces the genetic content of alcohol tolerance and knowledge about drinking. Let’s take a look.

Modern medical science has proven that one's alcohol tolerance is mainly determined by genetic factors and cannot be acquired through training.

We know that the main ingredient of wine is alcohol. After drinking, alcohol is converted into acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver, and acetaldehyde is then catalyzed into acetic acid by acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, and finally produces carbon dioxide and water. Among them, acetaldehyde can cause flushing of the face, accelerated heart rate, and nervous excitement. If there is less dehydrogenase that breaks down acetaldehyde, there will be more acetaldehyde and the alcohol tolerance will be lower. If there is more dehydrogenase that breaks down acetaldehyde, there will be less acetaldehyde and you can drink more.

It is worth noting that the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is determined by genetic factors and cannot be achieved through hard training. Hard training will bring danger to health and life.

Some famous foreign medical experts have conducted clinical tests: calculated based on pure alcohol, for a person with a normal physique, drinking 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day will not affect their health. Based on this calculation, a person weighing 60 kg can drink 60 grams of pure alcohol every day, which is equivalent to 2 taels of 65-proof liquor, or 2 liters of beer, or 0.5 kg of wine (including rice wine). However, since people have different physiques and different tolerance to alcohol, as well as differences in the type of wine, people's living habits and climatic conditions, exactly how much alcohol is considered excessive should be determined based on the specific circumstances.

Many scientists believe that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol every day is good for your health. However, the latest research by British scientists shows that the above view does not apply to people of all ages, and moderate drinking is only beneficial to the health of the elderly.

Although according to research, drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cardiovascular disease. But British scientists stressed that, overall, drinking increases the risk of a variety of diseases, including high blood pressure and liver disease.