Why wine REALLY gives you headaches and how you can avoid them
- Tannins, sugar and histamines are the cause of wine headaches, say experts
- Try drinking two cups of coffee before you start on wine to prevent a hangover
- Experts also advise avoiding tannin-rich red wine and sugary dessert wines
Wine drinkers will know the pain of the next day hangover – but now it can be revealed just why wine headaches are so bad.
The topic has been a matter of controversy for some time.
Some people believe the brain pain is caused by sulfites in the wine, but this myth has been largely debunked by experts – though sulfites can trigger asthma symptoms.
Experts say there are three major culprits of a wine headache: tannins, histamines and sugar
In fact, there are three major culprits, according to Vinepair: tannins, histamines, and sugar.
Tannins are antioxidants and naturally occurring compounds in grape skins, seeds and stems. They are the reason for that drying sensation in your mouth after a glug of wine, and for many of us, tannins won’t cause headaches.
But some people are susceptible to headaches from drinking tannin-rich red wine.
To find out if you are, try brewing a tannin-rich tea bag for far longer than you would normally – 10 minutes or so. Drink it – and if you get a headache afterwards, you’ll probably be susceptible to headaches from drinking red wine.
Dr. Seymour Diamond advises drinking two cups of strong coffee before starting on alcohol to prevent a wine headache
Another culprit of our wine headaches is the sugar. When alcohol and sugar mix, the body requires a lot of water to be able to process these substances. So if you’re not keeping yourself hydrated, you’ll likely suffer from a major headache.
The third culprit is histamines – the chemicals that are released when we have an allergic reaction and cause us to have a runny nose, dry eyes and a headache.
According to Vine pair, research has revealed that certain aged foods and drinks, such as aged wines, can cause our bodies to release histamines and suffer from allergy-related symptoms.
‘Red wines, in general, contain more histamine than Champagnes or sparkling wines and those usually contain more histamine than [still] white wines,’ Dan L. Keiller, MD, told the Wall Street Journal.
So how can we avoid wine headaches? There are few simple tricks – but it won’t surprise you to learn that the best way to avoid a hangover is to reduce the amount you drink.
