Gaby
A team of researchers from the University of California has identified the culprit behind the headaches that can overshadow the enjoyment of this intoxicating beverage. The offender is an antioxidant known as quercetin.
For centuries, scientists have puzzled over why red wine can trigger migraines and nausea even after just one or two glasses, and why expensive wines seem to provoke these symptoms more often. Researchers were also intrigued by the fact that headaches occur more frequently after drinking red wine than after other alcoholic beverages.
Now, Morris Levin, a professor of neurology and co-author of the study, says researchers have finally solved this “millennia-old mystery.”
What Scientists Discovered
The team believes that quercetin is a likely cause of headaches associated with red wine. This antioxidant interferes with the body’s ability to metabolize alcohol properly.
Researchers confirmed that quercetin blocks an enzyme needed to break down alcohol, and this impaired breakdown can lead to headaches.
This antioxidant is most prevalent in grapes that receive more sunlight.
So there’s good news for people who buy red wine at budget-friendly prices in supermarkets. Inexpensive wines are less likely to trigger migraines because the grapes used to make them are not exposed to as much sunlight as those used in pricier bottles.
Researcher Comments
Professor Andrew Waterhouse, a co-author of the study, explained that alcohol is first converted into a compound called acetaldehyde, and then into acetate, which is harmless. “But we believe that quercetin halts the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetate, so it remains in the body, causing inflammation and headaches,” he said.
Waterhouse says that in the future people may be able to check quercetin content on wine labels to gauge their risk of developing headaches.
He added that red wine contains more quercetin because it is made with the whole grape, while white wine is usually fermented without the skins and seeds. In grapes that get the most sunlight, quercetin levels are on average eight times higher than in grapes grown in shade.
As Waterhouse pointed out, wines aged more than ten years typically accumulate sediment that may contain higher levels of quercetin. However, that sediment is usually not consumed, so these wines are unlikely to cause headaches.
The team says more research is needed. Next, the scientists plan to test red wine on volunteers who report headaches after drinking it.
