Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: FuzzyUK on 06/11/2009 21:03:18
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I never have understood what the attraction of booze is all about. A half pint of shandy will make me feel miserable and send me off to sleep. Am I unique in this matter?
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Alcohol is classed as a depressant in that it depresses the central nervous system - it does not necessarily make you feel depressed. Maybe the two effects are related in some way for some people but I doubt that half a pint of shandy would have any significant effect. I would suspect a Psychological effect more than a chemical one. Or maybe there is some effect from the sugar content (diabetic) or some specific allergy.
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There are genetic factors in alcohol tolerance ...
Alcohol tolerance in different ethnic groups
People of European descent on average have a high alcohol tolerance compared to Aboriginal Australians, Native Americans and some East Asian groups. This is related to an average higher body mass, but also to the prevalence of high levels of alcohol dehydrogenases in the population. The high alcohol tolerance in Europeans and some other ethnic groups has probably evolved as a consequence of centuries of exposure to alcohol in established agricultural societies.
An estimated one third of persons of East Asian and Native American descent have an alcohol flush reaction, a condition where the body cannot break down ingested alcohol completely because it lacks the genetically coded enzyme that performs this function in the bodies of drinkers with "European" tolerance levels. Flushing, or blushing, is associated with the erythema (reddening caused by dilation of capillaries) of the face, neck, and shoulder, after consumption of alcohol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_tolerance