Migraines can be very painful, and people who suffer from them regularly will do almost anything to get rid of them, including giving up the pleasure of enjoying wine. According to the study’s, alcoholic beverages are among the 10 leading factors of migraines.
There are two reasons why red wine could be causing your migraines. One of them is the famous hangover- which appears regardless of whether the wine is red or otherwise. The second, much less known reason which can also affect a good number of people is caused by sensitivity or intolerance to a compound that is only present in red wine. In this case, in order for the headache to appear, it’s not necessary to drink excessively, because it can be manifested with single glass and almost immediately after drinking it. For a long time, it was thought that headache after consuming red wine appears due to sulfites. This claim does not have much sense, precisely because red wines tend to have less sulfites than whites.
Substances that occur during fermentation like tannins and some amines such as tyramine, usually do not pose a problem because the human body can metabolise them thanks to specific enzymes. People that have intolerance and sensitivity to those compounds means that they don’t produce enough enzymes to metabolise them and that’s why they suffer from headache and migraines.
If you are asking yourself is there any way to prevent this, the answer is no. Just like any type of food or drink intolerance, the best thing is to stay away from the things that can cause you problems. Drinking a cup of coffee before drinking red wine can mitigate the intensity of migraine, thanks to the vasoconstrictor effects of caffeine. However, it is more advisable to avoid red wines and instead choose white or rose wines with a lower content of tannins and amines. Also, don’t forget to always drink in moderation.
