Wine Headache: We’ve All Been There

Wine is not merely a drink but a vessel that carries our foods to their highest taste potential. A Wine Headache and hangovers often come with the territory.

Other people enjoy wine as a compliment to relaxation. Unfortunately, much like other alcohols, wine can have its downsides. For instance, that morning headache you may wake up to after enjoying these particular spirits.

This is not something anyone looks forward to nor enjoys. Luckily, there are ways to prevent this headache from coming on while still enjoying your dinner complement or nightcap. Read on to discover the origins of that dreaded morning after wine headache and how to get rid of it.

The Wine Headache: Where and Why?

There is a good amount of recent scientific information that traces the cause of the headaches received from wine accurately. This research is also relevant to different red meats on an unrelated note. Anyways – back to wine – the naturally occurring characteristics of the grapes has an influence on these headaches.

Tannins

Let’s begin with one of the more well-known components. I am speaking of course about the tannins that exist harmoniously within the wine. What many wine enthusiasts are unaware of is that tannins are actually a naturally occurring preservative. It also occurs naturally in the red meat I referenced earlier. Tannins can occasionally in some people cause blood vessels to open. This condition is called vasorelaxation and ultimately results in wine headaches.

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Histamines

The make-up of both grapes and the wine they inevitably produce are of course fermented and farmed. Additionally, these processes produce natural histamines. Mainly existent in the red wine varieties, the wine hangover occurs with reds due to a large number of histamines.

For those with low levels of enzymes, the red wine headache is more likely to visit you the following day. For some, it even begins that night. As you might expect, antihistamines ingested prior to wine can help keep a wine headache away. While this does not work for everyone, it is a good fact for wine enthusiasts to memorize. Sometimes that wine hangover can be crippling, and we DO NOT want that. Give antihistamines a try if you suffer from this ailment.

Tyramine

When you think of amino acids you think of them as a naturally occurring, necessary substance. While this is true, too much Tyramine will contribute to those wine hangovers. Especially when you drink wine alongside some type of tyramine heavy food such as cheese and cured meats. These of course are options often being served with wine. Therefore, try and do your best to avoid these foods while consuming wine. It is truly in your best interest.

Wine enthusiasts should also note that those who frequently experience migraines lack MAO, or monoamine oxidase. MAO is necessary for breaking down tyramine. If you don’t have a deficiency of monoamine oxidase, overloading is never a good idea. There is nothing that can be done once your MAOs are overloaded. So, it would be best if you did not indulge too much if you do not want a wine headache.

Prostaglandins

Wine hangovers experienced by wine enthusiasts could also be caused by something called Prostaglandins. This lipid which is like that of a hormone compound is also found in all animal tissue. Also found in wine, the wine headache received as a result of this compound is most often from wines of the red variety.

In the way of preventing such an occurrence, you might try Ibuprofen or some other medication containing acetaminophen. Of course, you want to ensure that any medication you consume while drinking alcohol is safe. Certain medications, when consumed with alcohol, can cause serious stomach problems. Especially if you have any pre-existing conditions that might affect that type of a scenario.

Avoiding The Dreaded Wine Headache

As you are now aware if you got through all my ramblings is that there are a lot of causes of wine hangovers. And it goes beyond the simple fact that it is an alcoholic beverage. Sometimes at dinner, even that one delicious glass of wine could cause you to experience a headache the following day.

Equipped with the knowledge of what causes wine headaches you can also successfully avoid them. At least most of the time anyway. There is one last thing to discuss in the way of preventing wine hangovers whilst still enjoying your favorite glass. That thing is simple: water. When you are consuming basically any alcohol you should be sure to consume H2O before bed and even in between drinks.

I honestly try to drink as much water as I did wine before bed. It is like hydrating yourself in advance, so you do not experience the lows of a wine hangover. Water is the ultimate healer of basically everything and this is no exception. It definitely will not numb your drunkness, only rehydrate your body, and lessen the odds of a hangover. Drink all the wine you want responsibly, in fact, we encourage it, but remember, these are the facts. With this knowledge, you will be able to drink up and still survive the following day. Cheers.