Greater Hepatic Vulnerability after Alcohol Intake in African Americans Compared with Caucasians: A Population-Based Study (PDF). Here is a popular press summation of the research. In short, the study shows that an enzyme that signals liver damange, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), is found to be at higher concentrations among African Americans after drinking than among European Americans (though the basal concentration is also higher to begin with among the former). This particular research need not be definitive, knowledge of the importance of the variation in alcohol dehydrogenase polymorphisms worldwide via its possible correlation with propensities toward alcoholism (read the linked article to get more qualified nuance), suggests that members of many world populations should take with a grain of salt those who naively recommend the healthfullness of drinking in moderation based on the French or Italians. The key is that moderation may be population contextual.