# American Indians and Drinking

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-indians-and-drinking/552134>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 31, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-indians-and-drinking/552134 "2010-08-31T14:52:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-indians-and-drinking/552134/21 "2010-09-04T16:23:06Z")

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> [@constanze](#):
>
> > [@Gray\_Ghost](#):
> >
> > A lot of the questions relating to genetic predisposition to alcoholism might be solved by googling the following phrase, “alcohol dehydrogenase deficiency native american”. …
> 
> I tried, but get only this thread, no PubMed. Spelling mistake?
> 
> Is this the genetic defect that Asians also have, where the processing of alcohol is impaired (leading to flushed faces)? I always heard that because the Native Americans - at least partly\* - are related to Asians, via the Bering Strait way, also have this genetic enzyme manufacture problem, which was not a problem as long as they were drinking mild corn beer, but got a problem with the high-alcohol gin and whiskey from the whites.
> 
> \*I think it was a BBC documentary where they showed, with DNA tests and stone tools, that at least some Native Americans came across from some area in France - same stone tool technique, which has its own name - following along the ice floes in the sea, using kayaks like the Eskimos, hunting and eating seals and fish. It turned out to be a political problem for several of the tribes, however, who didn’t want to be related in any way with whites, even if it was 5 000 years ago, and DNA proved it.

Sorry, I should have just provided links. The .pdf studies I was referring to are: [Aldehyde dehydrogenase polymorphism in North American, South American, and Mexican Indian populations](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1684787/pdf/ajhg00152-0129.pdf) (Am J Hum Genet. 1986 March; 38(3): 395–399), [Genetic Approaches to Addiction: genes and alcohol.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2665791/pdf/nihms-63618.pdf) (Addiction. 2008 September ; 103(9): 1414–1428.), and [Variations in ADH and ALDH in Southwest California Indians.](http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh301/14-17.htm) (Alcohol Res Health. 2007;30(1):14-7) (Not a .pdf) This article, [ADH and ALDH genotypes in relation to alcohol metabolic rate and sensitivity](http://genepi.qimr.edu.au/contents/p/staff/JW058.pdf). (Alcohol Alcohol Suppl. 1994;2:59-65.) (Pdf.) looks like it might be interesting too, if unrelated to the question of ADH/ALDH deficiency in Native Americans, but I haven’t read it.

Obviously, these studies weren’t meant to be a complete survey of the literature, rather I found their Discussion sections a useful starting point for familiarizing myself with the question, as well as providing me with further references in case I wanted to learn more. It’s a fascinating topic.

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**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-indians-and-drinking/552134/22 "2010-09-05T22:01:34Z")

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Indian reservations are a very good idea. You never know when you are going to need an indian.  
'joke

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