Wine and Headaches: Unravelling the culprits of your wine headaches

Have you ever had a raging headache after enjoying your favourite bottle of wine?

You’re probably wondering why something that tastes so good can cause you so much pain. Read on to find out the main culprits of your wine headaches and how you can beat them.

Approximately one-third of headache and migraine sufferers will report their symptoms being triggered by the consumption of alcohol. Particularly, red wine has been identified as the main migraine trigger for centuries now. While alcohol can bring you closer to other people, it can also make you more prone to headaches and migraine attacks. Not too fair, isn’t it?

Mostly, we believe that we have just reached our alcohol limit thus, that throbbing pain in our head. However, this is not always the case. Some of us has had only a sip or two then the headache begins. So, what is it about wine that causes headaches?

Before we get into naming the main culprits of your wine headaches, let us bust one myth first: Sulfites do not cause headaches.

Many people believe that sulphites, which are naturally present in wine, are what cause headaches. While sulphites can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms, they do not actually cause headaches.

Now, let’s identify the three main culprits of your wine headaches.

Migraine Culprit One: Histamine

Histamine is often found in aged food and drinks and is created as a by-product of the fermentation process.  It’s usually much higher in red wines than white. Histamine mainly affects us by dilating the blood vessels and creating inflammation resulting in that pounding sensation often described by migraine sufferers. 

Since we’ve identified histamine as one of the culprits, it’s important to note that other foods contain more histamine than alcoholic drinks. These include aged cheese, eggplant, sauerkraut, spinach, fish, sausage, and salami.

Migraine Culprit Two: Tannins

Tannins are plant chemicals that give red wine its pigment and bitterness, and it also makes the wine last longer. When you had that drying sensation in your mouth after indulging a glass or two of wine, that’s tannin at work. Although they are great antioxidants, tannins can enlarge the blood vessels resulting in headaches. They also prompt your body to release serotonin, which may cause headaches in some people.

Tannins are found in a variety of foods, including tea, dark chocolate, and some berries and nuts.

Migraine Culprit Three: Tyramine

Tyramine is a naturally-occurring amino acid that is another by-product of the fermentation process.  It causes an increase in blood flow. Sadly, as with histamine, consuming wine and cheese together can amplify the reaction.

Aged cheese, bologna, smoked fish, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled beets, and fermented soy products like tofu have high tyramine levels.

How to beat wine-ing?

Now that we have identified the main culprits of your headaches, we have here some helpful tips to stop you from whining.

• Try drinking a dry white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a sparkling wine like prosecco, these are generally lower in histamine and sulphites thereby decreasing whole-body inflammation.
• Because every wine is created differently try experimenting with wines that come from different regions. Generally, people find that wines from Italy, Bordeaux or Argentina cause them less headaches.
• Drink water in between each glass or sip of wine to avoid dehydration. This is key for anyone drinking alcohol!
• Take an antihistamine before drinking wine to prevent blood vessel dilation.
• Avoid sugary food while drinking wine.
• Drink responsibly. If you want to avoid that throbbing feeling, then it is best to be mindful of your alcohol intake. In other words, stay within your limit.

Bottomline

Keep in mind that a lot of things can trigger migraine. When it comes to red wine triggering a migraine attack, the likelihood may vary from person to person.

Can't bear the thought of going without your favourite glass of wine? Then go ahead and talk with your doctor about how alcohol may affect you before that bottle ends up in the bin.

If you want to find out more about what could be causing your headaches and migraines, then get in touch with us. 

Here at Melbourne Headache Solutions, we are passionate about helping people with their headaches and migraines. We are dedicated to finding out what the root cause of your problem is and helping you to find a way to get your symptoms under control so please get in touch!

Looking for more ways we can help you treat your migraine effectively.

Written by Dr Katie Bruni.

There are 5 ways to start taking action today 

1. Subscribe to our youtube channel for dozens of educational videos.

2. Like us on Facebook for weekly live videos, Q&A.

3. Schedule a free call to discuss your results with our team and find out how we can help you find relief faster.

4. Buy our book - Solving the Migraine Puzzle - A comprehensive guide to migraine relief.

5. Buy MigraineCare - our supplement specifically formulated for migraine.