What causes red wine headaches?
Ask the doctor
Q.
Occasionally I have a glass of red wine after dinner, but I always get a headache afterward. (White wine doesn’t have the same effect.) Why might this happen?
A. Scientists aren’t entirely certain why red wine headaches are so frequently reported. But they’re zeroing in on a flavonoid called quercetin that’s abundant in many fruits and vegetables, including the grapes used to make red wine.
Flavonoids are typically a good thing, since they boast antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and are linked to a host of health benefits. But in this case, quercetin appears to block a key enzyme that breaks down alcohol in the liver. When that happens, a chemical called acetaldehyde builds up in the blood, potentially triggering headaches as well as other symptoms such as nausea and flushing.
More research is needed to confirm this phenomenon. But in the meantime, you might be able to protect yourself from a red wine headache by eating an ample amount of food before you imbibe and drinking plenty of water just afterward.
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About the Author
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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