Some people who drink red wine, even in small amounts, experience a headache that occurs between half an hour and three hours after drinking a glass. Science has been trying to figure out why for decades. According to a study published this Monday, the 20th, in the journal “Scientific Reports” led by scientists from the University of California (USA) in Davis, a natural substance in red wine itself could now be to blame.
According to an American study, the substance contained in red wine can be the cause of headaches that occur hours later. Photo: Fernando Sciarra/Estadão
Researchers conducted a study that included volunteers who did not experience headaches when drinking small amounts of other alcoholic beverages. The conclusion was that quercetin, a flavonoid found in red wine, could interfere with proper alcohol metabolism and cause headaches.
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Quercetin, found in all types of fruits and vegetables, including grapes, is a healthy antioxidant. The amount of the substance in grapes depends on the exposure of these fruits to sunlight. Quercetin can also be sold as a supplement. However, problems can arise when metabolizing alcohol.
“When it enters the bloodstream, the body converts it into another form called quercetin glucuronide,” says chemist Andrew Waterhouse, one of the authors and professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis.
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This allows people to build up acetaldehyde, an irritant and inflammatory toxin that “at high concentrations can cause facial flushing, headaches and nausea,” explains lead author Apramita Devi, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis.
The drug disulfiram, which is prescribed to alcohol addicts to stop them from drinking, causes the same symptoms, according to Waterhouse. The drug also causes the toxin to build up in the body, although normally an enzyme in the body would be responsible for breaking it down.
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In around 40% of the East Asian population, there is also an enzyme that does not work well and affects the metabolism of the substance.
“We believe that susceptible people experience headaches when consuming wine, even with small amounts of quercetin, particularly if they have migraines or other primary health conditions,” says coauthor Morris Levin of the University of California, San Francisco. .
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“We believe we are finally on the right path to explaining this ancient mystery. The next step will be to test it scientifically on people who develop these headaches,” he concludes. / WITH THE AGENCY EFE