(Kristen Rodgers/ CNN News) — Scientists may be closer to understanding the culprit behind the consumption of red wine causing headaches for some people, according to new research.
A flavonol naturally occurring in red wines may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize alcohol, causing an accumulation of toxins that can lead to swift headaches, suggests the study published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports.
Quercetin, the flavonol, is a plant compound found in fruits and vegetables including grapes, berries, onions and broccoli.
“When (quercetin) gets in your bloodstream, your body converts it to a different form called quercetin glucuronide,” said study coauthor Andrew Waterhouse, a wine chemist and professor emeritus in the department of viticulture and enology at the University of California, Davis, in a news release. “In that form, it blocks the metabolism of alcohol.”
Red wine has a tenfold higher amount of phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, than white wine, which makes the beverage a “primary contender responsible” for headaches, the authors said. (…)