Gaby
Many people at holiday parties worry about how to make it through the celebrations without overdoing the drinking and hurting their health. Meanwhile, for some, the alcohol marathon ends before it even begins because their bodies simply cannot tolerate alcohol.
Why Does This Happen?
For these individuals, even a small amount of alcohol can trigger nausea, headaches, fever, difficulty breathing, and a racing heart. Their faces flush, and they may feel dizzy, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Modern research has shown that the inability to metabolize alcohol is rooted in genetics.
Dr. Yiannis Mavrommatis, a nutritionist and geneticist at St. Mary’s University in the UK, says people who carry a genetic variant sometimes described as “anti-alcohol” DNA are predisposed to feel unwell after a small amount of alcohol.
Because of a mutation, these individuals cannot produce the enzyme needed to break down alcohol. When the body metabolizes alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde, a compound that is toxic to humans.
In most people, an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) removes this toxic byproduct. However, some people carry a gene variant that causes acetaldehyde to build up.
What Should You Do?
If you carry this gene variant, limit alcohol to very small amounts and drink plenty of water.
Dr. Mavrommatis also recommended maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding stress, and getting plenty of sleep.
Meanwhile, Izabela Ramos, a dietitian with the MyHealthChecked research group, reminded readers that strong alcoholic beverages like vodka, whiskey, and rum have higher alcohol content, which can worsen symptoms.
“Some wines and beers — especially red wines and certain craft beers — contain higher levels of congeners, fermentation byproducts that can worsen symptoms,” she said.
Experts also say mixing alcoholic drinks with nonalcoholic ones, such as tonic water, can help reduce the impact of alcohol on particularly sensitive people.
However, Ms. Ramos said the safest option is to choose drinks with low or no alcohol content; that minimizes the amount of ethanol the body has to process.
