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How Much Alcohol Is Safe for Koreans?

Korea is notorious for its heavy drinking culture and all the problems associated with it, but doctors have only now come up with new guidelines specifically for Koreans.

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The Korean Academy of Family Medicine drew up the up new guidelines for alcohol consumption after analyzing the relationship between drinking and common ailments such as hypertension and diabetes here.

Kim Jong-sung at Chungnam National University Hospital said, "So far we've followed the guidelines suggested by the U.S., but the new guidelines reflect the physical characteristics of Koreans, including average stature and other traits".

The recommended weekly consumption of alcohol for Koreans is 112 g (around eight glasses), which is considered moderate drinking that will not cause harm to the liver.

One glass is equivalent to 14 g of alcohol and a glass refers to 150 ml of wine, 45 ml of liquor, 360 ml of beer, 500 ml of draft beer, 250 ml of makgeolli or traditional Korean rice wine and 90 ml of soju.

Kim said, "When your face turns red, it means your body can't break down alcohol fast enough.

People whose faces turn red when they drink should consume only half of the recommended amount as they tend to have acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism, left in their bodies, and this raises the risks of various illnesses".

Women often break down alcohol more slowly than men.

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