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About 70% of Han Chinese people possess the Dukang gene which can process alcohol and break down toxins, according to a report from the center of Anthropological Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai.
The results were published in the latest issue of the UK's Human Genetics Annual Report. Li Hui, head of the key laboratory of major education department at Fudan, said the gene is a mutation which can break down toxins produced by food which has been stored too long and become rotten and moldy.
Among the world's different ethnic groups there exist a large number of highly differing mutant enzyme genes which fall into seven categories. The strongest gene with the detoxification function is the seventh type, which is possessed by 70% of Han Chinese.
Looking from both historical and geographical perspectives, Li concluded that the Dukang gene was an important factor in Han expansion in China's Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties (around 2000-250 BCE), when Chinese people made rapid development in agriculture, producing vast quantities of food leading to techniques of storing and winemaking. During that time the consumption of alcohol had become a widespread activity and Du Kang, for whom the gene has been named, is renowned as the father of winemaking and was well-known in the Xia dynasty for his drinking prowess.
Li pointed out that in the early stage of winemaking, the process was not refined and was bound to produce many toxins. Moreover, people lacked understanding about not eating food that had been stored too long. Some died of poisoning as a result, leaving those whose bodies were better able to break down toxins to survive and pass on their genes.
參考閱讀：
1. 基因介紹
複旦大學現代人類學教育部重點實驗室李輝課題組新近完成的一項研究表明：乙醇脫氫酶-1B（ADH1B）的第7型變種存在於約70%的漢族人體內，這種酶有助於加快乙醇分解速度約13倍，同時能夠分解與乙醇結構類似的存在於酒精中的毒素。這意味著，相比於歐美人群，中國漢族人群具有更多化解酒精毒素的能力。2011年7月，這一研究成果發表於英國最新一期出版的人類遺傳學權威雜誌《人類遺傳學年報》上。
2. 基因溯源 - 基因突變源於解毒需要
複旦大學課題組對比了包括新石器時代、漢代、唐朝等時期的古人類DNA，發現第七種類型的乙醇脫氫酶基因在2800年前才開始出現，那時候，正是中國農業突飛猛進時期，充足的糧食生產使得家家戶戶都有了餘糧，糧食儲存成為難題。
ketifuzerenlihuirenwei，dangshibukenengyouliangshichucundejiancejishu。liangshichucunbudangfajiaohou，huichanshengdusu，erdangshiderenqunyinweibuzhiqing，haizaibuduanshiyong。yushi，juyouzheyijiyinyaxingH7的人就能夠降解這一毒素存活下來，缺少這一基因的人則會食物中毒———也許是慢性，也許是急性———因此，產生了一輪又一輪自然淘汰。長此以往，這一基因H7變體在體內得以強化。“這也意味著這一基因亞型在自然選擇中是正選擇的，能夠遺傳下來並且不斷加強。”
gengzhongyaodeshi，houlairenmenxuehuiniangjiu。zaikaishiyouyishidiliyongzhenjunshengchangguochengniangjiushi，huichanshenggenggaonongdudedusu，danshijiuduiyudaduoshurenlaishuoxianranshiyigeyouhuo，yinciyouqianghualezheyixuanzeguocheng。
李輝介紹說，在考古學上雖然發現新石器時代已經發明了釀酒，但是酒的大規模流行是從夏商周開始的。“womenchuanshuozhongdedukangjiushixiachaomoniandezhimingjiuxian，congyanjiuzhongyekeyikandao，yinjiudagaijiushizhegeshiqikaishiliuxingqilai，zhongguorendejiujingjiyinchanshengledafanweideyoushenglietaiyeshicongzheyishiqikaishide。suoyiwomenbazhezhongjiyinxichengwei‘杜康基因’。這個乙醇脫氫酶基因的第七種變體就是我們中國人的關鍵變體。”
3. 基因影響 - 缺某種基因喝酒沒快感
課題組還發現，人類如果缺失了另一種重要基因———與yu乙yi醇chun脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin關guan係xi密mi切qie的de乙yi醛quan脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin，那na麼me喝he酒jiu是shi一yi定ding沒mei有you快kuai感gan的de。而er在zai東dong亞ya人ren群qun中zhong，在zai中zhong國guo人ren中zhong，這zhe一yi基ji因yin功gong能neng缺que失shi的de人ren占zhan了le人ren口kou總zong數shu的de50%以上。
攜帶H7類lei型xing乙yi醇chun脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin的de人ren群qun能neng夠gou降jiang解jie大da多duo與yu乙yi醇chun相xiang關guan的de毒du素su。而er且qie課ke題ti組zu發fa現xian，在zai歐ou洲zhou和he美mei洲zhou的de人ren群qun中zhong，攜xie帶dai這zhe一yi類lei型xing乙yi醇chun脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin的de人ren口kou比bi例li非fei常chang低di，這zhe也ye是shi為wei什shen麼me白bai種zhong人ren酒jiu精jing中zhong毒du比bi例li遠yuan遠yuan高gao於yu東dong亞ya人ren的de原yuan因yin。因yin為wei即ji便bian是shi根gen據ju曆li史shi追zhui溯su也ye能neng夠gou發fa現xian，直zhi到dao中zhong世shi紀ji，歐ou洲zhou人ren群qun的de食shi物wu來lai源yuan於yu狩shou獵lie還hai很hen重zhong要yao，糧liang食shi並bing沒mei有you進jin入ru豐feng產chan富fu餘yu的de階jie段duan。李li輝hui稱cheng：“也許是他們還沒來得及進化出這一類型的乙醇脫氫酶基因。”
自(zi)然(ran)進(jin)化(hua)充(chong)滿(man)了(le)種(zhong)種(zhong)奧(ao)妙(miao)，課(ke)題(ti)組(zu)發(fa)現(xian)雖(sui)然(ran)東(dong)亞(ya)人(ren)進(jin)化(hua)出(chu)了(le)可(ke)以(yi)解(jie)毒(du)的(de)乙(yi)醇(chun)脫(tuo)氫(qing)酶(mei)基(ji)因(yin)，使(shi)人(ren)體(ti)能(neng)夠(gou)把(ba)乙(yi)醇(chun)迅(xun)速(su)降(jiang)解(jie)為(wei)乙(yi)醛(quan)，但(dan)是(shi)東(dong)亞(ya)人(ren)卻(que)又(you)進(jin)化(hua)出(chu)乙(yi)醛(quan)脫(tuo)氫(qing)酶(mei)基(ji)因(yin)功(gong)能(neng)缺(que)失(shi)的(de)類(lei)型(xing)。有(you)高(gao)達(da)50%的人缺少乙醛脫氫酶基因功能，而這是能夠對酒精進行徹底的“無害化處理”的重要基因。尤其是在中國的潮汕地區，這一基因的功能缺失顯得尤其明顯，“這也是為什麼潮汕地區食道癌高發的重要原因之一，因為缺少這一基因功能，使得酒精經過了第一道工序後，卻沒有第二道‘無害化處理’。”而缺少這一基因功能的人的最顯著標誌，就是一喝酒就臉紅。
李輝稱：“課ke題ti組zu還hai發fa現xian，這zhe兩liang個ge基ji因yin同tong時shi突tu變bian的de人ren，也ye就jiu是shi乙yi醇chun脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin功gong能neng增zeng強qiang而er乙yi醛quan脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin功gong能neng減jian弱ruo，尤you其qi是shi缺que失shi乙yi醛quan脫tuo氫qing酶mei基ji因yin功gong能neng的de人ren，喝he酒jiu的de時shi候hou一yi定ding沒mei有you快kuai感gan。因yin為wei不bu能neng把ba酒jiu精jing進jin行xing最zui終zhong的de‘無害化’處理，人體會有中毒的感覺。”這一類基因的陸續發現，未來也許會解釋為什麼每個地區都有自己的特色食物，“這些特色食物不是口味造成的，而是人體的基因所造成的，是人體對自身安全保護的需求。”
