I’m one of those lucky people who suffer from migraine
headaches. If you’ve never had one, believe me when I say that at
their worst, migraines can incapacitate you and make life
thoroughly miserable
at best.
I’m one of those lucky people who suffer from migraine headaches. If you’ve never had one, believe me when I say that at their worst, migraines can incapacitate you and make life thoroughly miserable
at best.
My doctor – a very sharp guy and a walking medical encyclopedia – tells me that no one is sure what causes migraines, although there are plenty of theories. There are lots of substances that are suspect, including caffeine, olives, sodium, alcohol, pickles and chocolate. Environmental causes are suspect too, and the one leading this pack is stress followed closely by light sensitivity.
So what do Mikey’s migraines have to do with wine? Glad you asked. While researching last week’s column on sulfites, a great deal of information relating to “red wine headaches” kept popping up. My editor also mentioned that she gets headaches from red wine. Although some people say that white wine gives them a headache, most point to red. So I decided to learn what it is about red wine that causes headaches.
As it turns out, an ingredient in red wine is thought to be a trigger of migraines. A London study showed that a group of chemicals called phenolic flavanoids (sounds like a great name for a punk band) can prompt migraines in people so inclined. These chemicals are leeched out of the skins and pips (seeds) of grapes during fermentation. The grape skin is a logical place to look for a cause of red wine headaches because they are removed prior to the fermentation of white wine, but not red.
As for regular headaches, some people report getting a throbber after just one sip of red wine.
A shame, that. Red wine has gotten so much good press in the last few years. Studies have shown that it can contribute to heart health, it can help raise good cholesterol (HDL) levels and one study showed that it might even keep prostate cancer cells in check.
It’s been touted as a beverage that can extend life. A 2003 Harvard Medical School study showed that resveratol – an ingredient in red wine – extended the lives of yeast, worms and fruit flies by 70 percent. What I would like to know is how they got those critters to drink the wine, and did they prefer Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir?
Remember that all these health claims are based on a moderate intake of wine. Here’s a great argument for moderation, a quote from that infamous over-indulger and bon vivant Ernest “Papa” Hemingway: “Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” Good advice.
So anyway, there is no shortage of theories about what in red wine causes headaches. But facts are pretty scarce. Our old friends the sulfites are mentioned a lot, but it seems that the most common reaction to them is a breathing problem. Headaches do occur, but mostly among asthmatics.
Other substances blamed are the tannins that come from the skin of grapes. There are also tannins in other foods, notably tea, soy and chocolate, but no one complains of headaches from those things.
Another suspect that comes up a lot is histamines. We hear a lot about those during cold and flu season, but we hear about them with a prefix: anti. Antihistamines are chemicals that help alleviate symptoms such as
the runny nose and itchy eyes associated with colds and allergies.
And guess what causes those symptoms. (I’ll bet you’re way ahead of me.) Histamines. These buggers are released by cells in our bodies called mast cells. They are critical in helping the body to heal itself and fight off infection, but it seems that when they
are taken into the body via a glass of red wine they turn nasty and can cause headaches.
It should be noted that for just about every study I found about a cause for red wine headaches, there was one that set out to disprove it. So if you suffer from red wine headaches, I suppose that the best thing to do is abstain. I did see a paper from one researcher who suggested that taking antihistamines prior to consuming red wine might help alleviate the headache, but that seems sort of silly to me.
All told, probably the best advice is moderation. But then again, according to Saint Augustine: “Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.”
