Researchers find 'why' red wine gives you headaches as doctor reveals how to stop them
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Scientists claim to have cracked the "millennia-old mystery" behind why red wine often leads to headaches. The culprit appears to be quercetin, a compound present in larger amounts in red wine compared to white, say researchers from the University of California. They found that this compound might trigger a build-up of acetaldehyde, a known headache-inducing toxin.
The director of the university's Headache Center, Dr Morris Levin, suggests that even "modest amounts" of quercetin could cause headaches in individuals, particularly those with existing conditions like migraines. Dr Levin stated: "We postulate that when susceptible people consume wine with even modest amounts of quercetin, they develop headaches, particularly if they have a pre-existing migraine or another primary headache condition.".
He pointed out that east Asians might be more prone to these headaches. About 40 percent of people from regions like Korea, China, and Japan may find it difficult to clear acetaldehyde due to a particular enzyme deficiency. Nonetheless, not all experts are on board with this hypothesis. Professor Roger Corder, an emeritus professor at Queen Mary University of London, suggests other components within wine could also be responsible for the headaches.
They include pectinases which, said to generate methanol, and dimethyl dicarbonate, a preservative used in more budget-friendly wines. He labelled the quercetin theory as simply a "speculative hypothesis", barely hanging on "only by the minutest of evidence". As Healthline outlines, quercetin is found naturally in foods like veggies, fruits, and grains, potentially boasting health perks aplenty.
