Cut back on alcohol and eat lots of veggies to protect yourself against esophageal cancer.

Red alert: Asian men whose faces flush when they drink alcohol seem to have a higher risk of cancer, a new study says.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The more than 35 percent of East Asians who experience a red face and racing heart while drinking even small amounts of alcohol have a much higher risk of developing a certain type of throat cancer, according to a recent report published in the medical journal PloS. The facial flushing–cancer connection appears to mainly affect people of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean descent with an inherited enzyme deficiency, and who drink moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol.

THE DETAILS: The two most common types of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma (the most common type found throughout the world), and adenocarcinoma (the most common type found in the U.S., and the type linked to long-term acid reflux). In this study, researchers found that people suffering from a deficiency in the enzyme ALDH2—that’s what causes the flushing—and who drink 14 beers a week face a 6 to 10 times greater risk of developing squamous cell esophageal cancer.

WHAT IT MEANS: Drinking heavily increases everyone’s risk of esophageal cancer, but this study found that the risk is more pronounced in East Asians with this deficiency. Which means it affects about 540 million people around the world (8 percent of the population), including about 1.5 million people here in the U.S. The good news is, one study found that drinking lightly (fewer than 16 drinks a week) could cut the risk by more than 50 percent.

Here’s how to protect yourself against the most common forms of esophageal cancer.: