Why are you so red?

Believe or not, Helen is not the only person that gets “Asian Glow.” The politically correct term of “Asian Glow” is alcohol flush reaction. Whenever people are socially drinking, individuals that have an alcohol flush reaction are always being teased about their red cheeks. Flushing does not only occur in the face, it can occur throughout the entire body depending on the person. Some embrace it by showing off their red stomachs, but some individuals are embarrassed and drink less to prevent being teased. But what causes this alcohol flush reaction? Why does it seem to affect Asians the most?
Alcohol flush reaction is a condition in which the body cannot break down ethanol completely, due to the inheritance of mutated ALDH2 that allows a buildup of acetaldehyde in the blood and tissues after the consumption of alcohol. High blood acetaldehyde levels are believed to be the cause of these flushed symptoms. About half of the Asian race is considered to be sensitive to alcohol because of this condition.
Never fear, there is hope for those that want to control their Asian Glow. Taking low doses of heartburn medicine containing ranitidine or famotidine, such as Zantac or Pepcid AC, may help relieve symptoms if taken before drinking. Also alcohol-flushing tends to lower the consumption of alcohol within individuals, therefore, people that have this reaction are less likely to become alcoholics. Who knows? Asian Glow may have saved your life.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/f7lt18165773j81l/fulltext.pdf?page=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_glow