Why wine gives you headaches and how to avoid them

Wine drinkers will know the pain of the next day hangover but now it can be revealed just why wine headaches are so bad.

The topic has been a matter of controversy for some time. Some people believe the brain pain is caused by sulfites in the wine, but this myth has been largely debunked by experts though sulfites can trigger asthma symptoms.

In fact, there are three major culprits, according to Vinepair: tannins, histamines, and sugar. Tannins are antioxidants and naturally occurring compounds in grape skins, seeds and stems. They are the reason for that drying sensation in your mouth after a glug of wine, and for many of us, tannins won’t cause headaches. But some people are susceptible to headaches from drinking tannin-rich red wine.

To find out if you are, try brewing a tannin-rich tea bag for far longer than you would normally 10 minutes or so. Drink it and if you get a headache afterwards, you’ll probably be susceptible to headaches from drinking red wine.

Another culprit of our wine headaches is the sugar. When alcohol and sugar mix, the body requires a lot of water to be able to process these substances. So if you’re not keeping yourself hydrated, you’ll likely suffer from a major headache.


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