4 ms·

Another interesting fact not mentioned in the article, is that men produce way more ADH than women: https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-1-gender-matters/content

Another interesting fact not mentioned in the article, is that men produce way more ADH than women: https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-1-gender-matters/content/content-gender-differences-in-alcohol-metabolism/#:~:text=Males%20and%20females%20differ%20in,their%20stomach%20and%20their%20liver https://sites.duke.edu/apep/module-1-gender-matters/content/.... I wonder how that fits into the author's narrative?

dynm 5y ago
(author here) I did not know that, and I'm not sure how it fits in! All else being equal, more ADH would imply faster acetaldehyde buildup, meaning men would have more of a "flush" than women. I don't know if all else is equal, though. For example, if men also had more ALDH, then they'd also be able to break down that acetaldehyde into acetate faster. Taking a quick glance at the literature, it's... super complicated. This paper (https://doi.org/10.1002/jcla.10076 https://doi.org/10.1002/jcla.10076) suggests that women have lower gastric ADH but higher liver ADH. There's some animal studies that suggest men have higher ALDH, but also some contradictory human studies that suggest that everything is just the same. Argh, biology.