​Why getting a red face from drinking alcohol is not a healthy sign

Channel NewsAsia online, 31 Jan

The Alcohol Flush Syndrome, or Asian Flush, that some people get after drinking alcohol was seen in nearly 60 per cent of respondents surveyed by four final-year students from NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. Conducted with over 200 NTU students, the survey was part of the RED AF health campaign held in partnership with Singapore Cancer Society, and supported by the National Youth Council and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. In a press release from RED AF, Asian Flush results from the body’s inability to process alcohol due to a genetic mutation. Owing to an enzyme deficiency, the body is not able to neutralise acetaldehyde, a cancer-causing agent converted from alcohol. When the body detects acetaldehyde in the bloodstream, the vessels dilate, creating the flush associated with drinking.