Scientists at the University of California, Davis, found the reason behind the red wine headaches and published it in the "Scientific Reports Journal.” The study suggests that the flavonol that is naturally present in red wines might be a potential cause of headaches. Quercetin is a flavonol that is naturally present in grapes and vegetables and is deemed a healthy antioxidant. However, its impact on metabolism with alcohol triggers various issues.
Red wine headaches are not similar to hangover headaches. The headache starts within 30 minutes to 3 hours after consuming only one or two glasses of red wine. It may be caused by histamines in grape skins, tannins, and sulfites (a preservative in wine).
Wine headaches have been a complaint since ancient Greece, and finding the precise component remains a challenge to scientists. A director of the Headache Center at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, Dr. Morris Levin, said that there are a lot of components in wine that could possibly cause headaches, not just the alcohol itself.
The Scientific Reports Journal says antioxidants present in the grape skins may affect how the body processes alcohol. ALDH2 is a common enzyme that is responsible for metabolizing alcohol in red wine and is affected by the presence of quercetin flavanol in red wine, impeding the function of the enzyme and leading to an increase in acetaldehyde (a toxic byproduct) levels, which causes flushing, nausea, and headaches. When quercetin enters the bloodstream, it converts to a different form named “quercetin glucuronide," which blocks the metabolism of alcohol. Lara Ray, a psychology professor, says that in small amounts, we can handle acetaldehyde without feeling ill. If alcohol is not metabolized properly, then the body shows a distaste response. But a quercetin-induced red wine headache is still a theory.
Additionally, the amount of sun exposure influences the level of quercetin during grape cultivation. Which might lead to a high level of quercetin content.
Carolyn Stolte, a certified nurse practitioner with Mercy Personal Physicians in Baltimore, Maryland, says it has been known that red wine also contains a high level of tannins and histamines compared to white wine. Some people are sensitive to histamines.
Dr. Andrew Warehouse, Ph.D., is a wine chemist and professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis, and he is a co-author of the study that says research might be helpful to consumers to get more information on how distinct wines impact their health. And it is better for consumers if precise information is known. And he also says that the research is still in the early stages, and the next stage involves human trials, which will be conducted by researchers at the University of California.
Reference:
1) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-46203-y
2) https://www.healthline.com/health-news/flavanols-may-cause-red-wine-headache s-researchers-say
Krymchantowski AV, da Cunha Jevoux C. Wine and headache. Headache. 2014 Jun;54(6):967–75. doi: 10.1111/head.12365. Epub 2014 May 6. PMID: 24801068.
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