What Is ALDH2 Deficiency and How Does It Impact My Health?
What is ALDH2 Deficiency?
ALDH2 stands for Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 and is an important enzyme responsible for the breakdown of toxins, primarily acetaldehyde. Approximately 35-40% of the East Asian population has a genetic mutation that is passed from generation to generation and causes many of us to have ALDH2 Deficiency. There are over 1 billion people worldwide with ALDH2 Deficiency. To find out if you have ALDH2 Deficiency, you can take an easy, at-home DNA test.
What is Alcohol Flush Reaction? How Do I Know if I Have ALDH2 Deficiency?
The main indicator of ALDH2 Deficiency is the presence of Alcohol Flush Reaction (known as ‘Asian Flush’) when drinking alcohol. Symptoms of Alcohol Flush Reaction may include red facial flushing, raised body temperature, rapid heart rate, inflammation, headache, nausea and dizziness. If you suffer from Alcohol Flush Reaction, there is a very good chance that you have ALDH2 Deficiency.
How Does ALDH2 Deficiency Cause Alcohol Flush Reaction?
When we drink alcohol, our bodies turn the alcohol into acetaldehyde, which is a toxic compound. Normally, our ALDH2 enzyme then breaks down the acetaldehyde toxin into acetic acid (which is harmless). However, in the case of ALDH2 Deficiency, the ALDH2 enzyme is weak and does not break down acetaldehyde efficiently. As a result, the body rapidly accumulates high levels of acetaldehyde in the bloodstream. The symptoms of Alcohol Flush are a reaction to the acetaldehyde accumulation in the body.
How Does ALDH2 Deficiency Impact Our Health?
When toxic acetaldehyde accumulates in the body, it can damage our proteins and DNA and cause serious long term health conditions. Studies show that people with ALDH2 Deficiency are at higher risk of esophageal cancer, liver cirrhosis and Alzheimer’s. This is due to our weakened ability to break down acetaldehyde in the body. Many people with ALDH2 Deficiency choose not to drink alcohol. This is very helpful because alcohol results in high concentrations of acetaldehyde. But the problem is that acetaldehyde can still enter the body in low levels through other everyday sources such as high sugar foods, coffee, soda, air pollution and cigarette smoke.
Is There a Cure for ALDH2 Deficiency?
Because ALDH2 Deficiency is a genetic enzyme mutation, there is no way to ‘cure’ the problem. However, there are certain things we can do to reduce our health risk and enjoy the best life possible. The main thing is to keep our body’s acetaldehyde accumulation as low as possible. Limiting our intake of alcohol, coffee, sugary foods and beverages, and exposure to air pollution and cigarette smoke can help reduce acetaldehyde accumulation. Also, taking a daily dietary supplement, such as Essential AD2, can help reduce acetaldehyde accumulation in the body every day.
How Does Essential AD2 Work to Address ALDH2 Deficiency?
Essential AD2 was clinically designed specifically to address ALDH2 Deficiency. It’s patent-pending formula represents a special concentration of natural ingredients Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. FDA. The proprietary blend enables the body to target acetaldehyde breakdown in two ways: (1) by increasing the activity of the ALDH2 Deficient enzyme to improve the natural breakdown of the acetaldehyde, and (2) by directly counteracting the acetaldehyde toxin. Essential AD2’s efficacy in reducing acetaldehyde accumulation during alcohol consumption has been demonstrated through third party, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical research.
There are many things in life that we cannot control – like conditions that we inherited genetically from our parents. However, we can still live the best life possible by taking steps to limit our exposure to everyday toxins like acetaldehyde.