Some people get severe headaches from red wine, even if they drink a small amount.
Scientists investigated why this occurs, particularly in individuals who don't experience headaches from other alcoholic beverages.
They discovered that a natural substance called quercetin, present in red wine as well as various fruits and vegetables, can disrupt the body's alcohol processing and cause these headaches.
How it works
When alcohol metabolizes quercetin, it creates a substance called quercetin glucuronide. This substance hinders the breakdown of alcohol and results in the accumulation of a toxin called acetaldehyde.
Heightened levels of acetaldehyde can lead to symptoms like facial flushing, headaches, and nausea.
The specialists claim that individuals with migraines or other primary headache conditions may be significantly more prone to red wine headaches if they get quercetin.
The next phase involves conducting scientific tests on individuals who regularly experience these headaches.
The amount of quercetin found in red wine can differ based on factors such as the extent of sunlight exposure during grape growth.
More information needed
In the future, a new experiment will be conducted to compare red wines with high and low levels of quercetin in order to gain more insight into red wine headaches.
There are still many things we don't know about it, such as why some of us are more prone to them than others and how quercetin affects different individuals.
Previously, we talked about chamomile tea.
