Red Wine Headache Syndrome: It is a real medical condition!

by Tom Banach

I was on a mission: To find the answer to one of life's great mysteries. Scouring the Internet to find that one article that would give me the definitive result I was looking for. Many hours were spent reading.  Google is tired of me searching. And the answer is … there is no answer.

What am I talking about? Wine-induced headaches. 

Most of us have heard of them. Some of you may have had them—headaches from drinking even one glass of red wine. With 30 billion bottles of wine consumed annually (that does not include homemade wine), you would think the scientific community would have solved this issue. A pill would have been made. Something would have been added at bottling to prevent it. 

No. That's it. Or is it? This seems to be a burning issue. 

Here is what I have gathered. More or less, it seems science can't agree. Possible causes are, but are not limited to, the following:

Sulfites.  There is still a consensus of people who insist sulfites are the cause. Since this theory was pushed so hard, advocates successfully lobbied to have all wine labels marked that they contains sulfites.  What most people are unaware of is that sulfites occur naturally during the fermentation process. Winemakers add additional sulfites during the winemaking process for antioxidant preservative abilities. Sulfites are in many other foods that we eat, and some at higher levels than wine, but we don't see labels on their packages. This is not to say sulfites are not a problem. Some people can be allergic to them, but respiratory issues are more likely than headaches.

Stress.  Some scientists theorize that alcohol consumption while experiencing stress may be the culprit. Of course, only people who drink wine are under stress and they get the headaches. When was the last time you heard someone complain about getting a beer headache or vodka headache? If they can theorize this, I can theorize their theory doesn't hold water.

Histamines.  One of the best theories. Maybe. Have you ever heard of diamine oxidase? This is an enzyme that breaks down histamines in the small intestine. People who have a deficiency of this enzyme may be susceptible to headaches. Red wines have considerably more histamines than white wines.

Tyramines.  This amino acid is also found in some cheeses and in chocolate. It may reduce serotonin levels and dilate blood vessels in the brain. 

Tannins.  Some theories point to tannins, which are predominately in red wine.

These are the predominate theories. Which one is correct, if any? It is up to the individual to find out what may be the cause. If you suffer from headaches due to drinking wine, keep a running list of what wine it was, what food may have been consumed, what time of the year, what is your stress level, or any other pertinent information you want to include. You may solve your own mystery.

It is important to note that scientists have found that taking antihistamines before or after drinking wine has not helped in preventing or curing headaches. And of course, never take acetaminophen (Tylenol) while enjoying your favorite alcoholic beverage. Mixing these two can seriously damage your liver.

Tom planned to provide resources for this article, but he had to go buy aspirin instead.

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