Gujarat Doctor Explains Why Europeans Handle Alcohol Better Than Indians

The relationship between humans and alcohol can be complex, with cultural, social, and biological factors at play. While most of us enjoy drinking in moderation, a large population of the country is still grappling with fatty liver. Have you ever wondered why Europeans seem to drink alcohol a lot more than us but tolerate it better? Doctor Harsh Vyas shed light on this intriguing topic, exploring the genetic and lifestyle differences that might contribute to this disparity.

In a video shared on Instagram, Harsh drew a comparison between two liver ultrascans of a 37-year-old Italian and a 37-year-old Indian. Despite drinking every 2-3 days a week, the European person's liver was healthier than the Indian's, who didn't drink at all.

Why Europeans Experience Fewer Alcohol Side Effects Than Indians

Explaining the reason behind the phenomenon, the doctor said, "Many people have asked me, why does it happen that Europeans drink so much alcohol, but still, they don't have a fatty liver, and we don't drink alcohol, but still, there are so many fatty livers in the Indian population. There are a lot of reasons."

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A post shared by Dr Harsh Vyas MBBS , DNB (Radio Diagnosis) (@runningradiologist)

1. Genetics

“Among Europeans, alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme activity is very good, which is not in our Asian population. It means that the intermediate toxic metabolites of alcohol are being properly washed out in European populations. But in our body, these toxic metabolites stay for a long time and are gradually washed out," the doctor explained.

2. Diet

The next key factor is their diet. Harsh added, "Their diet is complex carbohydrates, healthy fats in the form of fish and seafood, and olive oil. The diet has a lot of healthy fat and high protein. If we look at our Indian diet, we are mostly dependent on refined carbohydrates, and our diet has a low amount of healthy fats and protein."

3. Exercise

The doctor shared that his Italian patient was walking 5 to 6 kilometres a day, on top of doing his 30-40 minutes exercise routine. "The majority of our population doesn't exercise regularly, and we can't even complete a 5 km distance every day," Harsh mentioned.

"This is the reason why even if Europeans drink alcohol, the rest of their lifestyle is so good that they recover the little damage which is caused by it, and Indians can't," he concluded.

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