Quercetin-3-glucoronid in Red Wine Linked to Headaches

New research suggests this compound, found in higher amounts in red wine than in white, may inhibit an enzyme crucial for metabolizing alcohol, leading to headaches.

• Red wine headaches, or RWH, are a common phenomenon that can occur within 30 minutes to three hours after consuming red wine.
• Previously, sulfites, phenolics, biogenic amines, and tannins found in red wine were suspected to cause headaches, but recent research suggests a different compound might be responsible: quercetin-3-glucoronid.
• Quercetin-3-glucoronid, a flavonol found in fruits and vegetables including grapes, can inhibit the enzyme acetaldehyde dehyrdogenase, which is crucial for metabolizing alcohol. This inhibition can lead to a build-up of acetaldehyde, causing headaches.
• The amount of quercetin varies in wines, primarily due to the level of sunlight affecting the grape's quercetin production. Lower-quality wines tend to have less quercetin and thus may cause fewer headaches.
• A small human clinical trial is in the works at UCSF to fully test out whether quercetin leads to more headaches in people.

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