Article: In the early 1980’s, it was commonly believed that sulfites were the cause of red wine headaches. Sulfites are natural byproducts of yeast that are used by most winemakers for their antioxidant and anti-microbial properties and are added to help the wine have a clean fermentation process. Sulfites are also known as wonderful preservatives, and can be found in dried fruits, lunchmeats and cheeses. They can cause allergic reactions, but because of the higher sulfite content in dried fruits, dried apricots and raisins will give someone with this type of sensitivity a stronger headache than red wine would.

Histamines have also taken quite a bit of blame for causing red wine headaches. Histamines are compounds found in plant and animal tissues that cause an allergic reaction in humans. They stimulate gastric secretion and cause dilation of capillaries, constriction of bronchial smooth muscle and decreased blood pressure.

Histamines are found in many food products, but mostly in fermented foods and beverages, and are more common in red wines than in white wines. While histamines are found in grape skins, researchers believe that they are not found in high enough volumes to be considered problematic.

Tyramines are commonly found in many foods, such as cheeses, figs, avocados and chocolate, as well as in robust red wines and specifically Chianti. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a liver and brain enzyme that is used to clean up amines in the body. In the liver, one of the functions of MAO is to inactivate tyramine and change it into a harmless acetic acid. Otherwise, the tyramine can cause a dangerous increase in blood pressure.

Hormones released during stress and PMS inhibit MAO activity, as does alcohol. Researchers have found that people who have sluggish MAO activity or are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (the base of some antidepressants) may not be able to inactivate the influx of tyramine, which could cause the red wine headache.

Tannins have recently taken most of the blame for causing red wine headaches. More prominent in red wine than white, tannins are natural defense mechanisms in plants that create a bitter, astringent taste which induces a negative response when consumed. One possible link is the fact that tannins bind starches together, and prevent these starches from being used by the body to produce serotonin. Serotonin dilates and constricts blood vessels in the brains, and a deficiency causes vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow to the brain and causing a migraine.

While no one is quite sure yet what the official cause is, we winegeeks can join together and determine the problem ourselves. Post your personal experiences with red wine headaches in the Winegeeks.com Discussion Board.

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Category: Recreation Articles

Date: Jan 28, 2005

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