The Sunset Blog — Asian Flush, ALDH2 & Alcohol Science

Worried about acetaldehyde hiding in your food? Yes, it's in fermented foods, ripe fruit and coffee — but with an ALDH2 deficiency it's alcohol that matters, not your lunch. Here's the evidence.

Many people find they have negative reactions to sulfites used in alcoholic drinks. So how can you avoid these drinks? Here's everything you need to know about sulfites in alcohol and which drinks to avoid.

If you get a headache after just a drink or two, it may be an Asian flush headache — driven by acetaldehyde, not bad luck. Here's what helps and what only hides it.

Hiding the red face with an antihistamine doesn't touch the acetaldehyde behind it — it just removes the warning that tells you to slow down. Why that's dangerous, and what's safer.

That red face after a drink isn't cosmetic — it's acetaldehyde, a Group 1 carcinogen, building up faster than your body can clear it. Here's why it happens, and what actually helps versus what only hides it.

You've seen the ads — a patch you wear before drinking to stop the flush. But do Asian glow patches actually work? The answer comes down to what your skin will and won't let through.