Red Wine Headache Mystery Solved by Researchers

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Some individuals suffer from headaches shortly after they consume even a limited quantity of red wine.

If you relish a shiraz or Chianti now and then, you might be acquainted with the notorious “red wine headache.” That discomfort may originate from a component known as quercetin, which interferes with the body’s capacity to process alcohol, scientists have ascertained.

Quercetin is an antioxidant present in produce and greens, including grape skins, and some individuals ingest it as a dietary supplement for its alleged wellness properties. Nevertheless, at least in laboratory conditions, researchers discovered that it hinders an enzyme referred to as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) that’s vital for metabolizing liquor in the liver.

Liquor in the body is initially intercepted by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which degrades it into a noxious constituent termed acetaldehyde. ALDH then promptly neutralizes that toxin, transforming it into something that can be resolved into water and carbon dioxide. However, if what transpires in lab containers also occurs in the body, quercetin might induce acetaldehyde to build up. Elevated amounts of the toxin in the body can trigger redness, headaches, and queasiness.

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The conclusions, documented Monday (Nov. 20) in the periodical Scientific Reports, are yet to be substantiated in human subjects. But given that red wine comprises considerably more quercetin than other alcoholic beverages, the writers suggest the substance is likely the origin of the headaches.

“We surmise we are ultimately on the correct path toward demystifying this age-old puzzle,” co-senior study creator Dr. Morris Levin, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, conveyed in a declaration.

Scientists have beforehand put forth numerous hypotheses to elucidate the headache that frequently emerges half an hour following that initial taste of merlot, such as preservatives in wine recognized as sulphites being accountable or the inflammatory agent histamine. However, other investigations have contradicted these notions. For instance, varying degrees of histamine in pinot noir exhibited no consequence on individuals’ wine tolerance in one experiment, The New York Times documented.

Currently, the creators of the novel study believe they may have uncovered the resolution. “When it [quercetin] enters your circulation, your organism transforms it to a distinct configuration termed quercetin glucuronide,” study co-creator Andrew Waterhouse, a wine chemist at the University of California, Davis, stated in the declaration. “In that form, it impedes the processing of liquor,” he remarked.

The writers executed precise chemical analyses in the laboratory utilizing specimens of quercetin and associated substances, along with a purified ALDH enzyme. Subsequent to determining that quercetin glucuronide hinders ALDH, the writers approximated that a typical glass of red wine — around 5 ounces (147 milliliters) — would hypothetically culminate in quantities of quercetin glucuronide in the blood that could impede ALDH by as much as 40%. These approximate calculations are predicated on earlier investigations that scrutinized quercetin levels in individuals’ blood after ingesting wine which were factored into the present study’s forecasts of ALDH inhibition.

The writers intend to evaluate their theory in a compact human trial where they’ll juxtapose individuals’ reactions to red wines with disparate quantities of quercetin, to ascertain if individuals are more or less prone to encounter headaches.

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Quercetin is generated when grapes are subjected to solar radiation, thus varietals that are cultivated in differing locales will encompass divergent quantities of the constituent. The extent to which the wine contacts grape skins during fermentation, as well as the manner in which it is clarified and matured, can additionally sway quercetin degrees. To concoct red wine, vintners retain the grape skins in during fermentation, whereas they extract the skins when preparing white wine; that’s the explanation red wine embodies more quercetin than white.

“It will potentially be quite beneficial for individuals who partake in red wine to be equipped to opt for wines less apt to trigger headaches,” Levin conveyed to The Guardian. “Additionally, winemakers may harness our discoveries to diminish quercetin in their wines,” he articulated.

This composition is strictly for instructive intentions exclusively and is not designed to dispense medical guidance.

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Emily CookeSocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

Emily is a health journalist situated in London, United Kingdom. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in biology from Durham University and a master’s degree in clinical and therapeutic neuroscience from Oxford University. She has operated in science communication, medical writing and as a local news correspondent while undertaking NCTJ journalism training with News Associates. In 2018, she was designated one of MHP Communications’ 30 journalists to observe under 30.