Red wine is a welcome addition to most Thanksgiving meals—that is, unless you’re one of those unlucky drinkers who gets a throbbing headache after just one or two glasses.
Red wine headaches have almost certainly been around since humans discovered how to make spirits from fermented fruits. Scientists have long tried to understand why even a small glass of wine makes some people feel like they need a painkiller within 30 minutes of taking a sip, but to no avail.
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In the past, tannins, sulfites and histamines were blamed. Now, after testing nearly a dozen compounds found in red wine, one research team’s findings point to another culprit: quercetin, a compound found in grape skins.
“Quercetin absorbs ultraviolet light, so it’s a sunscreen for grapes,” said Andrew Waterhouse, professor of oenology, also known as wine chemistry, at the University of California at Davis. Waterhouse, one of the authors of the study published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports, said the amount of quercetin found in wine is directly related to the sun exposure of the grapes. “So, if you grow your grapes in a lot of shade, they won’t get as much out of it. But if you grow them in a place that gets a lot of sun, then they’ll produce more quercetin.”
Quercetin doesn’t just help prevent grapes from scorching in the sun. It is a powerful antioxidant that may help protect against heart disease and cancer in humans. But Waterhouse said quercetin can cause headaches when alcohol is added to the mix.
“Your body has this system to get rid of the alcohol you drink, and it seems like quercetin smooths things out,” he said. “Essentially, the quercetin in red wine stops the process halfway.”
The human body has a complex process to eliminate alcohol and toxins that can be harmful to cells. Most alcohol (chemically speaking, ethanol) is broken down in the liver, where two steps occur. First, enzymes help break down the ethanol molecule into acetaldehyde, which is a highly toxic substance and known carcinogen. Acetaldehyde is then converted into harmless molecules of acetate, a fatty acid that plays a role in the body’s energy production and lipid synthesis, and is eventually broken down and turned into waste.
But when quercetin enters the bloodstream, it is converted to quercetin glucuronide, a compound that blocks the enzyme that converts acetaldehyde to acetate. Heads started banging as a “nasty toxin” built up, Waterhouse said.
It’s unclear how many people are affected by red wine headaches, but it’s a fairly common condition, said study co-author Morris Levin, a professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. Levin, director of the university’s Headache Center, said he found that “a third of my patients cite a history of at least one red wine headache.” People prone to headaches and migraines seem to be particularly susceptible to headaches caused by red wine; which is “very different from waking up with a hangover.”
Unlike the dreaded hangover, red wine headaches can occur “within a few minutes to a few hours after drinking red wine,” Levin said, and are marked by “a throbbing sensation all over the head, nausea, and a general sense of well-being.” wretched.”
But Waterhouse said there is a “workaround” for red wine lovers who want to avoid headaches by opting for cheaper wine.
“As a general rule, cheaper wines have less quercetin,” Waterhouse said. “Usually that’s because the grapes get less sunlight than the grapes in the really expensive cabernet they make in Napa Valley, for example.”
But be warned: Less quercetin can mean the wine’s tannins taste less silky.
Unfortunately, there is still no cure for red wine headaches. Although Levin has in the past told his patients to drink fluids or try taking ibuprofen before drinking, red wine headaches are “kind of resistant to treatment.”
So will a glass of red wine always cost you headaches?
It remains to be seen.
Waterhouse and Levin hope to test their theory about quercetin in an upcoming clinical trial. Further research may focus not only on preventing or treating red wine headaches, but may also lead to a better understanding of migraine disease as a whole.
Meanwhile, people prone to annoying headaches may need to be flexible about their wine choice, scientists said. Levin, who himself recently developed an unpleasant reaction to red wine, suggested choosing wine varieties with lower alcohol content, such as pinot noir and syrah.
“Also, it’s always a good idea to work to reduce stress—especially around this time of year to reduce the likelihood of headaches,” Levin says. said.
Another option would be to give up red wine altogether. Unlike its red cousin, white wine does not contain quercetin because the skins of the grapes are removed before fermentation.
“For what it’s worth, white wine pairs wonderfully with turkey,” Waterhouse said. “Rosé wine may also be safe.”
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