Is it possible that rice can have an impact on the way a person reacts to alcohol? According to a recent Science Daily post, the mutation that causes the alcohol flush reaction in people of Asian descent may have occurred upon the domestication of rice.
Researchers investigated this possibility and traced the history of the version of the gene responsible. They found that the ADH1B*47His allele appeared around the same time that rice was first cultivated in southern China.
A study of 38 populations completed by Bing Su, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with a team of researchers, examined people of Asian descent including the Han Chinese, Tibetan and other ethnic groups.
Su noted in Science Daily, "Our molecular dating suggests that the emergence of the ADH1B*47His allele occurred about 10,000-7,000 years ago. The geographic distribution of the allele in East Asia is also consistent with the unearthed culture relic sites of rice domestication in China, suggesting that distribution of the alcohol flush mutation can be explained by the origin and expansion of the Neolithic rice culture.
This is one of the few cases reported demonstrating the genetic adaptation of human populations to the dramatic changes in agriculture and diet during Neolithic times," added Su.
Fermentation of the rice was implemented as a way to gain the benefits of ethanol’s combined analgesic, disinfectant and profound mind-altering affects. The fermentation can also help to preserve and enhance the nutritional value of food and drink.
Su and his team equate the flushing response with an adaption to counter the negative effects of the alcohol consumption. Those carrying the ADH1B*47His actually have a lower risk of alcoholism. The unpleasant reaction can influence drinking behavior and therefore protect them from over consumption.
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