Why do some people get headaches when they drink red wine?
Some people don't get a headache when they drink beer or sake, but for some reason they get a headache when they drink red wine. A study investigating why drinking red wine causes headaches has shown that a substance in red wine called quercetin may interfere with the proper metabolism of alcohol, causing headaches.
Inhibition of ALDH2 by quercetin glucuronide suggests a new hypothesis to explain red wine headaches | Scientific Reports
Why do some people get headaches from drinking red wine? | ScienceDaily
Quercetin is a substance found in grapes and other fruits and vegetables, and is considered a healthy antioxidant, and related supplements are also available on the market. However, when quercetin is taken with alcohol, a substance called quercetin glucuronide is produced in the body, which inhibits the action of the enzyme 'type 2 aldehyde dehydrogenase' that breaks down acetaldehyde. If acetaldehyde is not broken down and accumulates in the body, it can cause facial flushing, headaches, and nausea.
As a result of research by Apramita Devi and colleagues at the University of California on various substances, it was confirmed that substances related to the above-mentioned quercetin glucuronide are the substances that most inhibit the function of type 2 aldehyde dehydrogenase.
Quercetin is naturally contained in various wines, and previous research has reported that the quercetin content in red wine is higher than the quercetin content in white wine. In addition, the content of red wine differs depending on the type, and the more the grape bunches are exposed to sunlight during the production process, the higher the content, and it seems that there are also differences depending on the aging and manufacturing process.
Morris Levin, who was involved in the study, said, ``We speculate that if sensitive people ingest wine that contains a certain amount of quercetin, they will experience headaches.''
According to researchers, there are still many unknowns about the causes of red wine-induced headaches, such as why some people are more likely to get headaches than others and others are not. The researchers commented that it is necessary to scientifically test the results in people who have developed headaches.
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