Frequent drinking can indeed enhance the body's ability to metabolize alcohol. Some people are naturally good at holding their liquor, while others have a very low tolerance, which is mainly related to genetics. But is genetics the only determining factor? Can one build up a tolerance to alcohol based on genetics? Can people who originally have a low tolerance build up some tolerance?
The answer is yes! Frequent drinking can indeed enhance the body's ability to metabolize alcohol.
Let's first understand what alcohol tolerance is related to. Alcohol (ethanol) is primarily absorbed into the blood through the upper digestive tract, such as the stomach and small intestine, and is almost entirely metabolized by the liver. The metabolic process is ethanol (alcohol) → acetaldehyde → acetic acid → carbon dioxide and water. Among these reactions, acetaldehyde is the most toxic, while acetic acid is almost non-toxic. Therefore, the second "→" is crucial as it serves a detoxifying function. The faster this step is, the more comfortable a person feels, and the higher their alcohol tolerance. The speed of this step depends on a substance called "aldehyde dehydrogenase," which determines the speed of alcohol detoxification and metabolism, and ultimately, a person's alcohol tolerance. The stronger the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase, the higher the alcohol tolerance; the weaker the activity, the lower the alcohol tolerance. For the same amount of alcohol intake, a person with a faster reaction (higher tolerance) will suffer less health damage.
The strength of aldehyde dehydrogenase activity is closely related to genetics, but it is also influenced by other factors. Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity can be induced and increased by alcohol. Drinking small amounts frequently can enhance its activity, thereby increasing alcohol tolerance. "Drinking small amounts frequently" is key; an occasional binge often fails to have this inducing effect. Moreover, this phenomenon of frequently and lightly exposing the body to a toxic substance (like alcohol) to improve the body's ability to metabolize that substance (tolerance) is quite common.
Be especially vigilant
Of course, I am not encouraging drinking by saying this. After all, alcohol harms the liver and can cause many health problems, such as liver damage, fatty liver, gout, and it also increases the risk of cancer. Even without considering these common health risks, there are two types of people who should absolutely not try to build up a tolerance. One is people who are allergic to alcohol; even a small amount can cause obvious adverse symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and cold sweats. The other is people who experience "alcohol-induced pain." They feel pain in a specific part of their body 15 to 20 minutes after drinking. The location of the pain varies from person to person, but it must be taken very seriously because the pain site could be associated with a relatively rare tumor—Hodgkin's lymphoma. In fact, patients diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma often experience pain in the lesion area after drinking. Clinically, alcohol-induced pain is even one of the main symptoms of advanced lymphoma.