Is Alcohol Intolerance Genetic?

22 Apr Is Alcohol Intolerance Genetic?

Is alcohol intolerance genetic? The short answer is yes, alcohol intolerance is genetic. But, it is not just genetics; it also depends on certain co-factors too, such as magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B2 and B3.

Alcohol is considered a stimulant, just like coffee. How well your body breaks alcohol down, or metabolises it, is determined by your genes—specifically, ADH1B.

Alcohol Intolerance Genetic Factors

Alcohol is metabolised in the liver in several stages:

• Stage 1: Alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde
• Stage 2: Acetaldehyde to Acetate
• Stage 3: Acetate breakdown

The main alcohol intolerance genetic factor is ADH1B. This gene breaks alcohol down into acetaldehyde, which, in excess, causes the typical hangover symptoms, such as nausea and headaches.

If your body converts alcohol to acetaldehyde slowly, you’re less likely to experience many of the unpleasant symptoms associated with drinking too much.

How common is alcohol intolerance?

While alcohol intolerance is more common in East Asian populations, a study done in 2012 called  Prevalence of Wine Intolerance: Results of a Survey from Mainz, Germany, distrubuted surveys to 4000 people between the age of 20 and 69.

Only 948 people responded to the 4000 randomly distributed surveys. They found that 7.2% (68 of the 948 responders) reported symptoms specifically after drinking wine—with a slightly higher proportion of women affected.

However, this study may not reflect the general population, and individuals self-reported their symptoms. It is also important to note that there is a difference between alcohol intolerance and an alcohol allergy, of which the latter is quite rare. An alcohol allergy is the immune system’s reaction to ethanol and causes symptoms like rashes and anaphylaxis.

Alcohol Intolerance and Candida

Candida, more specifically Candida albicans, is a single-celled fungus species of yeast that naturally occurs in everyone. The overgrowth of Candida can be triggered by stress, illness, poor diet, or even antibiotics.

This overgrowth can make hangovers much worse. Sometimes you could even have hangover-like symptoms and not have touched a single drink! This is because acetaldehyde is a waste product of Candida.

Learn more about your genes and nutrition here.

What are the symptoms of alcohol intolerance?

It is common to feel flushed in the face, neck and chest, which becomes warm and turns your skin red or pink after drinking alcohol.

This is known as alcohol flushing syndrome. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, low blood pressure, worsening asthma, and a throbbing headache.

Am I alcohol intolerant?

Our DNA tests can tell you how well your body metabolises alcohol into acetaldehyde based on the ADH1B gene. To be most certain, it is best to couple your results with a visit to your healthcare provider.

From this visit, your doctor can recommend ways to treat alcohol intolerance. Because this is a genetic condition, alcohol intolerance cannot be prevented or cured. The simplest option is to opt for the mocktails instead.

Want to find out more about ADH1B gene? Shop our tests here.