Frequent drinking can indeed enhance the body's ability to metabolize alcohol to some extent.
Some people are naturally good at holding their liquor, while others are the opposite, with a very low tolerance. This is mainly related to genetics, but is genetics the only determining factor? Can alcohol tolerance be developed based on genetics? Can people who originally had a low tolerance build up some tolerance?
The answer is yes! Frequent drinking can enhance the body's ability to metabolize alcohol to some extent.
First, let's understand what alcohol tolerance is related to. Alcohol (ethanol) is mainly 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 plays a detoxifying role. The faster this step is, the more comfortable a person feels, and the greater 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 determines a person's alcohol tolerance. People with stronger aldehyde dehydrogenase activity have a greater alcohol tolerance, while those with weaker activity have a smaller tolerance. For the same amount of alcohol intake, people with a faster reaction (greater tolerance) 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. Frequent drinking in small amounts can enhance its activity, thereby increasing alcohol tolerance. "Frequent drinking in small amounts" 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 its ability to metabolize that substance (tolerance) is quite common.
After drinking, if you experience nausea, cold sweats, or pain, you must be especially vigilant.
Of course, I am not saying this to encourage drinking. After all, drinking harms the liver and can cause many health problems, such as liver damage, fatty liver, and 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 their tolerance. One is people who are allergic to alcohol; even a small amount can cause obvious adverse symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and cold sweats. The other is people who experience "alcohol-induced pain." They feel pain in a certain 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 may indicate a rare tumor—Hodgkin's lymphoma. In fact, patients diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma often experience pain at the site of the lesion when they drink. Clinically, alcohol-induced pain is even one of the main symptoms of advanced lymphoma.