Thursday, June 16, 2005
Chinese and alcohol
Question:
Some people of Chinese descent cannot handle alcohol, why might that be?
Hints:
It's possible that we all used to have alcohol intolerance but as we started going into cities the danger in drinking the water increased. Drinking alcoholic drinks were safer than the water. Those who couldn't drink the alcoholic drinks were more likely to be killed off.
In China the practice of boiling water and adding herbs (tea) killed off the germs while boiling. There was less evolutionary pressure to become tolerant to alcohol.
Links:
http://www.allergyclinic.co.nz/guides/54.html
Some people of Chinese descent cannot handle alcohol, why might that be?
Hints:
- About 50% of Chinese, Japanese or Taiwanese people have alcohol intolerance. If they drink too much (for some just a few glasses) they probably will have to go to the hospital.
- Think of an evolutionary reason.
- The Chinese invented tea a long time ago.
- Beer and wine has (or used to have) yeast that are alive.
- In larger cities it often became safer to drink beer than water, because the water could contain germs that can kill you. With beer the yeast has killed off these germs.
It's possible that we all used to have alcohol intolerance but as we started going into cities the danger in drinking the water increased. Drinking alcoholic drinks were safer than the water. Those who couldn't drink the alcoholic drinks were more likely to be killed off.
In China the practice of boiling water and adding herbs (tea) killed off the germs while boiling. There was less evolutionary pressure to become tolerant to alcohol.
Links:
http://www.allergyclinic.co.nz/guides/54.html
# posted by Scott Kirkwood @ 1:46 PM 
