However, scientists may be one step closer to determining what causes a headache after drinking red wine.
What Is It in Red Wine That Gives You a Headache?
Some people get a flushed reaction when they drink, and this is sparked by inflammation, Waterhouse explained.
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Headaches are also triggered by inflammation.
One of them, quercetin, was a very good inhibitor.
That really got our attention.
Researchers have long surmised what causes RWH.
Some researchers previously believed that histaminescompounds involved in the immune responsefound inred winecould trigger headaches.
However, multiple research papers published in the early 2000s disproved this theory.
Lastly, many researchers have suggested phenolic compounds called tannins may be to blame.
Phenolics are the primary suspect, but nobody has any theories, Waterhouse said.
There really was no sound theory; there was just a lot of speculation.
The key thing is that we have to test this with real people, Waterhouse said.
What we have now is enzyme data, test tube data.
Are Certain Red Wines Less Likely to Cause Headaches?
But researchers do know one factor that influences how much quercetin is found in red wine.
The practical implication of that is that less expensive red wines probably have lower levels than expensive ones.
Really high-quality wines, generally speaking, have high levels of quercetin.
And people who havemigrainesare generally more prone to RWH, she added.
The advice she gives them depends on the severity of their RWH, Pace explained.
Many people use over-the-counter medicationslike aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophento treat their headaches.
Taking other precautions may keep you comfortable until your headache resolves.
As with any health problem, if your RWH persists, you should seek medical help, Pace said.
If this can help neurologists explore causes of other types of headaches, that would be wonderful.
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