Red Wine Headache
Do you frequently get a
red wine headache?
Are they real?
Whenever I am in a discussion with people about potential
red wine health benefits
inevitably the topic of red wine and headaches come up.
Is
there really a link between red wine and headaches? As I was
researching the topic it was clear that no one knows for sure the main
cause.
Theories on red wine and headaches:
At one time it was believed to be the sulfites
in red wine that was the primary cause of the red wine headache
however, sweet white wines actually contain more sulfites than red
wines.
Tannins
are also thought to possibly cause red wine headaches. Tannins come
from the grapes skin, stems and seeds and is much more plentiful in red
wine. Headaches may be more severe when drinking heavier tannic red
wines such as Bordeaux from
France
and very dry
Italian wines
such as Barolo and Barbaresco. If this is the case, one should be able to drink wines lower in tannins that have not been
aged
as long such as
Pinot Noir,
Spanish Riojas and
French wines
from Burgundy and suffer with fewer headaches.
Some people
even recommend taking Ibuprofin (Motrin), Tylenol or asprin one hour
before drinking red wine to inhibit the release of prostaglandins in our
body. Prostaglandins are substances we produce in our body that can cause pain and inflammation.
Finally, one needs to ask themselves if they just drank too much. This can cause alcohol dehydration
which typically can cause severe headaches. Red wine alcohol can be
very potent and its effects can be felt very quickly with some
individuals.
Tips to Prevent Alcohol Dehydration:
1) Make sure you eat when you drink red wine.
2) If you are out for a long evening of drinking try to not drink more than one glass of red wine per hour.
3) Drink several glasses of water between each glass of red wine.
