grape debate The settlement has been made.
Two scientists at the University of California, Davis believe they have discovered why Cabernets, Pinot Noirs and other types of red wines produce this Brutal hangover.
Enology professor Andrew Waterhouse and postdoctoral researcher in food science and technology Apramita Devi told Conversation Red wine contains very high amounts of quercetin, which is affecting the body’s ability to process alcohol properly.
Quercetin is a phenolic compound found in grape skins. Red wine is high in quercetin white wine Because the skins of red grapes survive for a long time during the fermentation process.
Waterhouse and Devi measured how quercetin slowed the process of breaking down acetaldehyde by the enzyme ALDH, which is produced in the human body when alcohol is broken down.
Tests confirmed that quercetin was a strong inhibitor of this process.
Quercetin glucuronide, according to studies, disrupts alcohol metabolism in the body and releases excess acetaldehyde – which causes inflammation and headaches.
Waterhouse and Devi said circulating excess acetaldehyde causes people’s skin to become red and flushed, which is often accompanied by headaches. Headaches result from a delay in the metabolic phase as the body breaks down alcohol.
The study also explored whether sulfites, biogenic amines, and tannins are among the causes of red wine hangovers.
Sulfites are often found in all types of wine and have long been known to cause alcoholic hangovers.
But according to Waterhouse and Devi, the amount of sulfites in wine—20 milligrams in a glass—is unlikely to be enough to eliminate the body’s sulfite oxidases.
Biogenic amines are nitrogenous substances found in many fermented foods and beverages alike.
However, scientists said the amount of biogenic amines in wine is too low to cause a brutal hangover.
Finally, red wine is high in tannins, which is why many hungry people blame the chemical compounds.
But as Waterhouse and Devi noted, grape skins and seeds contain several other phenolic compounds — like quercetin — that may be causing the hangover.
Additionally, tannins occur in other products such as tea and chocolate, which rarely cause headaches.
In conclusion, Waterhouse and Devi said that grapes exposed to the sun produce more quercetin, which in turn causes those types of red wines to cause more hangovers.
Therefore, cheaper wines may be the best solution for red wine drinkers looking to avoid a hangover.