” When it gets in your blood stream, your body converts it to a different type called quercetin glucuronide,” stated wine chemist and matching author Andrew Waterhouse, teacher emeritus with the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. “In that type, it obstructs the metabolism of alcohol.”
Acetaldehyde Toxin Buildup Leads to Flushing, Headache, Nausea
As an outcome, individuals can wind up building up the toxin acetaldehyde, describes lead author Apramita Devi, postdoctoral researcher with the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.
” Acetaldehyde is a well-known toxic substance, irritant, and inflammatory compound,” said Devi. “Researchers know that high levels of acetaldehyde can cause facial flushing, headache, and nausea.”
The medication disulfiram recommended to alcoholics to prevent them from drinking causes these same symptoms. Waterhouse said thats because the drug likewise triggers the toxic substance to build up in the body when generally an enzyme in the body would break it down. About 40% of the East Asian population also has an enzyme that does not work very well, enabling acetaldehyde to develop in their system.
” We postulate that when prone people consume red wine with even modest quantities of quercetin, they establish headaches, especially if they have a preexisting migraine or another primary headache condition,” stated co-author Morris Levin, professor of neurology and director of the Headache Center at the University of California, San Francisco. “We think we are lastly on the ideal track towards describing this millennia-old mystery. The next action is to evaluate it clinically on individuals who establish these headaches, so stay tuned.”
Sunlight Increases Headache-Causing Flavanol in Grapes
Waterhouse said levels of this flavanol can vary considerably in red wine.
” Quercetin is produced by the grapes in response to sunlight,” Waterhouse stated. “If you grow grapes with the clusters exposed, such as they perform in the Napa Valley for their cabernets, you get much greater levels of quercetin. In some cases, it can be 4 to five times greater.”
Levels of quercetin can likewise differ depending upon how the red wine is made, consisting of skin contact throughout fermentation, fining processes, and aging.
Clinical Trial on Wine Headaches
Scientists will next compare red wines that include a lot of quercetin with those that have extremely little to evaluate their theory about red white wine headaches on individuals. This little human medical trial, funded by the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation, will be led by UCSF.
Scientist said there are still numerous unknowns about the causes of red white wine headaches. Its uncertain why some people seem more susceptible to them than others. Scientists dont know if the enzymes of people who struggle with red wine headaches are more quickly prevented by quercetin or if this population is simply more quickly affected by the accumulation of the contaminant acetaldehyde.
” If our hypothesis works out, then we will have the tools to begin addressing these important questions,” Waterhouse said.
Reference: “Inhibition of ALDH2 by quercetin glucuronide suggests a brand-new hypothesis to discuss red white wine headaches” by Apramita Devi, Morris Levin and Andrew L. Waterhouse, 20 November 2023, Scientific Reports.DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-023-46203-y.
Financing for this preliminary investigation came from individuals who supported the job by means of 2022 Crowdfund UC Davis.
A research study from UC Davis suggests that quercetin, a flavanol in red wine, could trigger headaches by disrupting alcohol metabolism and causing contaminant accumulation. More research study is prepared to comprehend why some individuals are more vulnerable to these headaches.
Not everybody feels fine after red white wine, and a flavanol may be the culprit.
A red white wine might pair well with the upcoming Thanksgiving meal. For some people, consuming red white wine even in small amounts causes a headache. Normally, a “red white wine headache” can take place within 30 minutes to 3 hours after consuming just a little glass of wine.
What in Wine Causes Headaches?
In a new research study, researchers at the University of California, Davis, analyzed why this happens– even to individuals who dont get headaches when drinking percentages of other alcohols. Researchers believe that a flavanol discovered naturally in red white wines can hinder the correct metabolism of alcohol and can lead to a headache. The study was released on November 20 in the journal Scientific Reports.
The Headache Culprit: Quercetin, a Flavanol
This flavanol is called quercetin and it is naturally present in all kinds of vegetables and fruits, including grapes. Its thought about a healthy antioxidant and is even available in supplement kind. However when metabolized with alcohol, it can be problematic.
For some individuals, consuming red white wine even in small amounts causes a headache. Typically, a “red white wine headache” can occur within 30 minutes to 3 hours after consuming as little as a small glass of wine.
” We postulate that when prone people take in wine with even modest amounts of quercetin, they develop headaches, particularly if they have a preexisting migraine or another primary headache condition,” stated co-author Morris Levin, professor of neurology and director of the Headache Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers said there are still numerous unknowns about the causes of red wine headaches. Scientists dont know if the enzymes of individuals who suffer from red white wine headaches are more quickly hindered by quercetin or if this population is simply more quickly impacted by the buildup of the contaminant acetaldehyde.