Alcohol, allergies, histamines and sulfites – reactions from an allergist
As pollen showers down this time of year, a question that many allergy sufferers may have is whether alcohol exacerbates sniffling and sneezing. The answer is yes, but not necessarily for reasons they may think.
Last week, the Times ran a short piece assessing the claim “alcohol worsens allergies.” Their conclusion was yes, particularly for women.
But the problem is not always the alcohol itself. Beer, wine and liquor contain histamine, produced by yeast and bacteria during the fermentation process. Histamine, of course, is the chemical that sets off allergy symptoms. Wine and beer also contain sulfites, another group of compounds known to provoke asthma and other allergy-like symptoms.
I tweeted about it, curious if anyone had any reactions. I heard back from Sumit Bhutani, M.D., a board certified allergist at Allergy & Asthma Associates in Houston and wine enthusiast (and site reader!). In follow-up emails, he took issue with the treatment in the Times piece for lumping all nasal symptoms as allergies, whether they are or not, and placing undue causality on the histamines and sulfites in wine.
He says that histamines in foods have nothing to do with allergic reactions to those foods, so the amount of histamines in foods is almost never of value to allergists. He sent me a link to this observational study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology entitled “No correlation between wine intolerance and histamine content of wine.”
As to sulfites causing allergies or asthma, Dr. Bhutani says that sulfites cause respiratory symptoms in the small portion of the population already sensitive to them. For them, most whom already have asthma, the reactions are often severe forms of bronchospastic symptoms and may include anaphylactic reactions (hence the government warning; you can assess your sensitivity to sulfites by eating five dried apricots, which often have higher levels of sulfites than a glass of wine.) He included a link to another study that tested the theory of low-sulfite and high-sulfite wines in patients with a reported history of asthmatic sulfite reactions. There was no objective drop in the subjects’ breathing test with either wine.
So does the alcohol itself worsen allergies? Dr. Bhutani suggests that when someone’s allergies are flared, alcohol can act as a congestant (a direct vasodilator, in his terms; because it is related to blood-alcohol levels, lower-alcohol wines should cause less congestion.). It’s similar to the way that people with allergies experience increased symptoms around other irritants such as second-hand smoke or strong scents. But he cautions that these indirect irritants are causes of allergy-like symptoms (called rhinitis), not allergies per se. He says that women are affected by this condition three times more than men.
Pity the wine tasters, critics and amateurs alike, that suffer from allergies who may be compounding their problems by tasting at certain times of the year. But if you don’t have allergies, it’s not likely the cause of congestion.
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On April 26th, 2010 at 11:09 am ,Damien wrote:
I am considering printing and laminating copies of this entry as well as all the attached studies to give to everyone who asks about their allergies at public tastings.
I am always uncomfortable responding to queries because a small percentage of the population will actually have an allergic reaction, but for most, “go eat a dried apricot” is the best advice I can give.
On April 26th, 2010 at 11:37 am ,ben wood wrote:
Great post Dr!
We often have to explain this as well- very difficult; and confusing- another common “sulfite” complaint is headaches- any thoughts? How about the fact the “sulfites cause hangovers?”
Thanks,
Ben
On April 26th, 2010 at 11:48 am ,1WineDude wrote:
Chance that sulfites in wine gave you a headache: 0.0000001%
Chance that overdrinking and a hangover gave you the headache: 99.999999%
On April 26th, 2010 at 1:20 pm ,Katie wrote:
I’m with Joe (WineDude) on that one. Something had to be the whipping boy for wine headaches and lest it be admitting the fact that perhaps you overdrank, sulfites got the dirty job instead. But trying to convince a non-believer that this is the case is about as easy as trying to convince riesling haters that not all riesling is “sweet”, LOL.
On April 26th, 2010 at 1:29 pm ,Damien wrote:
Katie and Joe –
My consistent favorite is “do the Europeans put more sulfur in the wines they ship here, because I didn’t get a headache when I was in France?…”
I like to ask as follow up questions:
Were you on vacation?
Were you eating a mulitcourse meal?
Did you have your kids’ to get to bed and homework to finish, and dishes to do, etc?
Most people see where I am going at this point.
On April 26th, 2010 at 2:35 pm ,Ray Isle wrote:
Great post, Tyler. Poking around on PubMed it seems there are other studies that do link histamine reactions to red wine (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8005453); as well as variance in histamine content in different reds of anywhere from 200 micrograms per liter to 3,500 per liter, just at a quick glance. Not being a chemistry PhD or enologist myself, I’m wondering if any of the winemakers out there know specifically what accounts for the varying histamine levels in different reds.
One interesting thing was a study showing that the use of lysozyme in Riojas reduces histamine content (it’s primarily used to kill various lactic-acid bacteria that cause spoilage aromas, as I understand it). What’s interesting is that commercial lysozyme is isolated from egg whites, which makes me wonder whether egg-white fining might as a side effect reduce histamine content, whereas bentonite might not.
Interestingly, lysozyme is also found in tears, so in theory you could fine your Cabernets by weeping into them.
On April 26th, 2010 at 3:04 pm ,Dr. Vino wrote:
So glad this post has sparked interest!
@ Ben – sulfites cause bronchial issues, most often severe in patients who already have asthma, it seems. While wines may give some wine consumers headaches, it’s not because of the sulfites.
@ Ray – yes, it is obviously multifactoral and hard to isolate causes. It would be interesting to get some clarity on this issue that comes up very often.
As to crying in your wine, I fear that’s what many high-end wine producers have been doing the for past year or so…does that make them low-histamine wines?
On April 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pm ,Dr. Rob D'Aquila wrote:
Sulfites CAN cause a problem, and eating dried apricots is a good way to differentiate. I’ve been coming across this problem fairly frequently in my practice recently, i.e.: inability to tolerate alcohol. Sulfites seem to be the exception though. The real problem seems to lie in a yeast/mold/fungus overgrowth in the gut (and possibly nasal cavity). I find this is the reason people get congested when drinking. When you stimulate mucous-secreting cells in the gut, the body typically stimulates all the mucous-secreting cells, hence congestion. Whether or not they are allergic (i.e.: an immune system response) to yeast/mold/fungus doesn’t seem to interfere with eradicating it and allowing the person to be able to drink alcohol again without a problem. One other thing to consider (that I’ve seen) is chronic antibiotic use (as a child or adult) causing a sluggish liver. Then again, this would certainly contribute to an overgrowth of yeast, etc..
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:04 pm ,Kristen wrote:
Presently suffering from a Pinot Noir induced headache. I love to drink Pinot… but for some reason everytime I do be it one glass or three, it gives me a headache. If I drink the same amount of any other red or white, I am fine… Perhaps the histamine in the Pinot grape itself is higher? Anyone know?
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:18 pm ,NEWSFETCH - April 26, 2010 | Wine Industry Insight wrote:
[...] Wine, allergies, histamines and sulfites-an allergist’s reaction [...]
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:21 pm ,in8 enophile wrote:
Most of the studies I’ve seen refer to these histamines as biogenic amines of which some of the names are putrescene and cadaverene. Nice, huh? Also, they’re is some evidence to show that they are a byproduct of Malo-lactic fermentation. This may give some clue as to why some people are more sensitive to reds, since nearly all reds go through ML, where a good deal of whites (Sauvignon Blanc esp.) typically do not. Also, some people claim they can’t drink red wine due to sulfites, when in actuality, whites often have as much or more SO2, due to it’s anti-oxidative properties.
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:24 pm ,Cellar News: black garlic, snotty authors and Argentinean wine - Uncategorized - - CellarDoor wrote:
[...] anyone who claims they have a sulphite allergy: no you don’t. Sulphites are one of the most misunderstand compounds in the world, and I’ve heard way too [...]
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:25 pm ,Sondra Barrett wrote:
A great post and discussion. As a wine lover/biochemist who often teaches about allergies to nutrition students, I am always asked about the wine headache or allergies to red wine or sulfites. So thanks for the eat a dried apricot suggestion.
The idea that someone doesn’t get headaches when drinking wine in Europe is important here since the whole idea of ‘set and setting’ influencing our physiologic responses is often forgotten. Our bodymind can get conditioned to an unpleasant experience (remember Pavlov?) so we repeat the unpleasant sneezing, headache, whatever, every time we are in a similar setting – drinking red wine – until we avoid the situation never to discover we are fine with red wine.
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:27 pm ,Damien wrote:
I have heard talk of many substances in reds that cause allergic reactions but am completely unqualified to comment on what they might be. The Malo piece is an interesting trail to follow as it’s one piece that sets reds apart from some whites.
I’d like to suggest / request / cajole / encourage / and do whatever else might be required to have Dr. Vino write the definitive book on wine allergies. The myths, misunderstandings, and serious implications behind wine allergies seem ripe for your sort of analysis. I promise to buy at least one copy for me and to spread the word among friends…
On April 27th, 2010 at 12:46 pm ,tom farella wrote:
I’ve noticed throughout my career that wines with aggressive tannins are the biggest culprit with bad reactions to wine. Young, robust wines in the cellar often give me “red wine headache” where older, softer (pinot, etc.) wines with polymerized tannins have little effect. I think the trend towards fruit bombs and early release oakified (tannin) wines are the most dangerous for some of these reactions in some people. SO-2 has been blamed since the salad bar days and that wrought the modern warning label. (Add vinegar to sulfited vegatables and the pH drops and volatilizes the SO-2).
On April 27th, 2010 at 3:01 pm ,Jim wrote:
My wife can be afflicted with headaches and a glass of wine.
Because I generally pour the wine for her, she isn’t aware of the quality of the wine that I am pouring.
She develops these headaches after less than 1/2 glass of wine about 20% of the time. Almost exclusively, it has been a lower end wine she was sipping when the headaches develop. I had suspected those lower end wines as having more sulphites.
Can you suggest alternative reasons as to why those lower end wines created such a problem?
As for solutions, I no longer pour her lower end wines and she no longer develops headaches.
On April 27th, 2010 at 3:43 pm ,in8 enophile wrote:
Jim, there should be no correlation between SO2 level and high or low-end wine. Trust me, there are plenty of high end wines out there pushing the legal limit (there is such a thing, and it’s relatively low compared to what’s allowed in dried fruits). Inversely, there are some low-end “sulfite free” wines out there (“Our Daily Red” @ Trader Joes” for example), that i wonder if she would have a reaction to. I can’t say for sure what would be causing this problem otherwise; lower-end wines MAY have elevated VA (volatile acidity) levels and/or hightened levels of aldehydes. Also, they MAY have higher levels of Fusel oils (alohols with more than 2 carbons), which still quite low compared to the ethanol content, may have some contributory effect. Honestly, a lot of this is still under research, and thus there isn’t a widely accepted answer.
On April 27th, 2010 at 3:46 pm ,winenegress wrote:
Worth noting the only person ever to die from an allergic reaction sulfites in US did so after eating from a salad bar. Great post Doc!
On April 27th, 2010 at 9:41 pm ,Charles Massoud wrote:
As alluded to by “in8 enophile”, above, there is considerable material on biogenic amines in wine. Switzerland has been a leader in pursuing this defect, and they have considered requiring including levels of such substances on labels, as well as the possibility of banning wines exceeding certain threshold.
Amines are indeed the product of bacterial infections that seem to happen in conjunction with malo-lactic fermentations. Especially so called spontaneous ML where the bacteria are unknown. The Swiss have shown that amines, a family of chemicals that include histamines, but also more potent products such as those mentioned by “in8 enophile”, are indeed produced by such unwelcome bacteria.
How do they act and what are the symptoms?
It seems we secrete a natural enzyme in our stomach that is designed to scavenge histamines which occur naturally in many foods. The reason they do not affect us is that they are intercepted and neutralized by the enzyme.
When biogenic amines are present, and bacause of their potency, they will neutralize that enzyme. If one drinks such a contaminated wine, it will neutralize the enzyme. It is when we eat food with that wine and that food contains histamine, that now the histamine is free to proceed and enter our blood stream. Different people respond differently, and chances are different foods have different histamines. This results in many symptoms which are all the result of this process and they include headaches, rashes, itches, etc…
There are limited numbers of more extreme reactions.
In order to reduce / eliminate biogenic amines, it is considered best to follow these 2 practices:
- purchase lab selected bacteria and inoculate the fermenting wine to preclude any “wild” bacteria from being enabled
- co inoculate when yeast is added so as to give the selected bacteria the chance to dominate and preclude the wild bacteria from having a chance to bloom.
As of now there is no regulation that requires measuring or publishing levels of biogenic amines in wine in the USA.
It is also unfortunate that this issue is not publicized. It does not conveniently fit into a soundbite and it is not simple to explain. So we are treated to more inane topics instead.
As to sulfites, it is considered that a small percentages (about 4%) of those who suffer from asthma may be allergic to sulfites. Which is why the labeling became mandatory when the salad bar incident occurred. So unless one is asthmatic and has been diagnosed as allergic to sulfites, there is no known pathway to point to sulfites as the responsible chemical that causes any of the ills ascribed to it.
On May 2nd, 2010 at 11:58 am ,BigSur wrote:
Dr Vino, I’m troubled by misinformation on this thread coming from posters. I’m clinically diagnosed as sulfite-allergic, have been hospitalized for it. First, the “eat a dried apricot” is NOT a good test. Sulfur dioxide and metabisulfite are not the same thing. A sulfite-sensitive person is vastly more sensitive to metabisulfites than sulfur dioxide. A better test is reaction to lemon juice, horseradish, wine vinegar, anesthetics, pain medications, air fresheners, high fructose corn syrup and food dyes (candy) — the sulfite-allergic person will react to these things that all contain metabisulfites. They’re likely to have a lot of seemingly unrelated asthma attacks from household and food products because of hidden sulfites. Typical sulfite reaction is lips and mouth swelling, severe asthma and suffocation. A truly sulfite-sensitive person is going to stay away from the tasting room.
Someone commented about deaths. There have been many documented deaths from sulfite reactions, both from food and beverage consumption, industrial exposure and from anesthesia reactions. The FDA acted responsibly by requiring the labeling law for wine. Be glad you’re not sulfite-sensitive and go enjoy your tasting.
On May 2nd, 2010 at 3:14 pm ,In8 enophile wrote:
Big Sur, in an aquious solution (water, wine, saliva) metabisulfide does form SO2. In regards to wine especially, winemakers can choose to hit their SO2 levels by adding KMBS (potassium metabisulfide), or pure liquid SO2. I can’t really speak to the dried fruit industry, though I do know there are sulfite free options available. Also, there are certainly people with sulfite allergies ( there’s an allergy to everything it seems), but the problem is people who assume they have a sulfite allergy due to bogus information. I would argue only a fraction of people have this allergy who think they do. More often their reactions are sinus headaches than the ones you mentioned.
On May 2nd, 2010 at 3:23 pm ,In8 enophile wrote:
Sorry, aqueous
On May 4th, 2010 at 4:52 pm ,Lab Guy wrote:
An intersting thing to consider, one mililiter of store-bought 3% hydrogen peroxide will bind up all of the sulfites in an entire bottle of wine. You can effectively create your own bottle of sulfite-free wine!
Of course, the reaction of SO2 and hydrogen peroxide creates sulfuric acid, and in large enough quantities will obviously affect the acid levels in the wine. But how much would be produced from one drop?
Any ideas on this ln8 enophile?
And Jim, sensitivity to sulfites does not cause headaches. There is actually a seperate term called, believe it or not, ‘Red Wine Headache’ or RWH. Since there hasn’t been enough interest (read – money invested) in researching which compounds in red wine may be the culprit in causing RWH, it is still unknown what exactly is giving people headaches when they drink wine, especially red.
I also wanted to add my raised hand to add that there is no such thing as ‘sulfite free’ wine. No sulfites added maybe, but since one of the byproducts of fermentation are sulfites, all wines have a bit in them.
On May 4th, 2010 at 6:00 pm ,Sondra Barrett wrote:
What I’ve begun to wonder about – is there a difference in incidence of headaches comparing wines from organically grown grapes vs conventional. How much residual pesticides could be in conventional wines? Could this be a problem? I’m greatly appreciating this discussion.
On May 4th, 2010 at 8:34 pm ,in8 enophile wrote:
Lab Guy, you’re correct in regards to the binding properties of H2O2, and, in fact, this is the hush-hush fix if you over SO2 your wine. Now, hydrogen peroxide is VERY oxidative, so in addition to breaking the law, you are also driving a lot of oxidative reactions. I don’t know how much sulfuric acid is produced at that add rate, probably not very much, and I wouldn’t expect a notable jump in TA. But on the other hand, OH MY GOD, THERE’S SULFURIC ACID IN MY WINE!!??!!
While I agree with you that SO2 is a normal by-product of fermentations (and that’s why I put sulfite free in quotations in my previous post), I have personally seen “non-detect” lab reports from a major wine lab. I can’t explain it either! Also, as you probably know, you can have up to 10ppm SO2 and still not have to put “contains sulfites” on your label for this very reason.
Sondra, there is certainly some carry-over from what is used in the vineyard to what ends up in the wine. Dirty secret, we don’t wash the grapes before we crush them! Other than some residual sulfur issues though, I haven’t seen too much about this relative to headaches.
On May 7th, 2010 at 9:46 am ,Madelyn wrote:
I have a very different reaction to wine…maybe someone can help me. Up until about 20 yrs ago, I could drink wine (and sometimes a lot of it!) without any issues. Now, if I have as little as a sip or two, my entire body aches as if I have a bad case of the flu. It hurts so much that I need to lie down…I actually can’t function for about 20 minutes and then it goes away. I’m Italian and not being able to drink wine just doesn’t work! Any suggestions? Also, any ONE glass of beer or any alcoholic drink gives me a nasty headache in the middle of the night that only Excedrin will help.
On May 11th, 2010 at 4:47 pm ,OhioWineGuy wrote:
This is a great discussion. I supposedly had a reaction to sulfites in a salad bar when I was in high school before the warnings came out. I swelled up like a balloon and had to suck on ice chips to keep my throat open to breathe. No doctor was available, but thankfully a phys. ed. teacher came to my aid with aspirin and ice. I really felt horrible for a few hours, but once the swelling went down, I was better. I used to get congested drinking beer and wine as a young adult, but somewhere along the line I guess I “grew out of it” and am not bothered with it now. Some of these posts seem very feasible as to the causes/reactions.
On May 24th, 2010 at 8:45 pm ,yazz1076 wrote:
Has anybody having “red wine headaches” considered maybe trying an Organic wine? The headaches may have also been caused to over use of pesticides in the vineyard.
On May 31st, 2010 at 6:20 pm ,Maureen wrote:
I have a bad reaction when drinking wine red/white. My nose explodes with mucus and i cannot stop sneezing. I was told that i could have an histamine overload with foods eaten and wine. I dont eat cheese, tuna, mackeral etc which i believe to be high in histamine, i was scored 1-10 if i have say five histamine containing foods like tomatoes,olives,smoke salmon i will suffer an overload. This only happens sometimes i tried elimanting histamine foods for while no joy. I am interested in gut bacteria and how to cure it.
On June 1st, 2010 at 7:23 pm ,Karen McCamp wrote:
I am currently dealing with nasal congestion and I did drink red wine last night. I have only recently begun to question whether red wine or alcohol in general adds to my nasal congestion. I have come to realize that it may increase my congestion and believe at this time (many comments made confirm some of this for me)that it is related to mold allergies currently. I also get red wine headaches even after only 1 glass of red wine if I haven’t been drinking it daily. If I have had a glass or more daily, then I do not suffer headaches unless I overdo it or do not eat enough. I have found red wine to be dehydrating and if I make sure I consume water while drinking it helps to keep headaches at bay also. I have found being hydrated helps with my congestion as well.
On June 11th, 2010 at 5:37 am ,Beth wrote:
This is all very interesting! I drink very little alcohol at all, but do enjoy (not now!) an infrequent glass of WHITE wine (mid range bottled), and over the last year or so, consistently get a headache ie I wake up with one! I am female, mid 50s. Any ideas?
On June 13th, 2010 at 4:55 pm ,Josie Gilpin wrote:
Hi, I’m a senior female and have nasal polyps. The allergist told me not to drink wine because of sulfites. I notice that here in California if I do drink a glass of red or white my nose gets blocked immediately and stays that way for a day or two. I have just returned from a month in London, U.K. where I drank a glass or two every evening and not once did my nose react. Why the difference?
On August 15th, 2010 at 6:50 am ,Candace Mc wrote:
It is highly possible that you lack a certain enzyme called “Aldehyde Dehydrogenase” (Sp?) which would mean that alcohol could not be processed properly, making it rather toxic, depending on whether you simply don’t have enough of the enzyme required for digesting it or none at all. It runs in families and is mostly likely genetic. My father had the same problem later in life that I have had for at least 25 years or more.
The only way you could find out is if you were to take an anti-histamine prior to having a drink (without sulfites would be best) to see if it is indeed another type of allergy. The bad news is you may not be able to have alcohol, like me. The good news is that in all the studies I’ve read, the people with the gene that causes them to not be able to drink alcohol is also linked to the gene that prevents dementia! (I’m happy about that, because my mother has severe dementia…but at least she can drink alcohol I guess! ) Good luck…I do save a lot of money not buying any alcoholic beverages! –Candace Mc
On September 25th, 2010 at 8:10 pm ,CeCe wrote:
I have had a sinus infection and have allergies pretty regularly. Two weekends in a row I drank ONE glass of Frei Bros (Chardoney) and within a few hours my throat was tight, could not swallow easily and my nose cavities close COMPLETELY. It was sooo scary. I took benadyl immediantly and almost had to use an epipen. I didn’t put two and two together until the second time it happened. Could it be the wine?
On October 30th, 2010 at 6:49 am ,marie dickson wrote:
I have a slighly different question to ask about allergies and wine – I have recently developed eczema , firstly on my hands and now all over my arms and back and legs. At the age of 56 I realise I must have developed an allergy to something in my diet. Could I possibly be allergic to white wine, which I drink regularly? If so, which alcoholic beverage should I switch to?
On November 15th, 2010 at 5:06 pm ,Leigh wrote:
Hi, I googled sulfites (again) to do more research on allergic reactions to this underlying beast that haunts me. I have not drank any wine since about 200 when I got crimson red all over and had asthma for 6 months from one glass of red wine. I am very careful as even salad dressings and of course dried fruits put a rash on my lips, then down my throat and esophagus and ending with extreme congestion. I tried the Frey organic no sulfites added wine very cautiously about 2 months ago starting with a touch of the wine on my lips and then the next eve a tiny tiny sip – all was fine. I have enjoyed just a few glasses and thought I would try the chardonnay of Frey last night – I got a rash on my lips almost immediately with one sip. So now that I have had this reaction to the Chardonnay, I will probably not be able to drink the red now that the allergy has been started. I clearly have an allergic reaction to sulfites so Dr. Bhutani’s statement above that we would not have allergic reactions to sufites or wine if we didn’t already have allergies is incorrect. (what does that statement mean anyway? It’s an obtuse observation) I have a distinct reaction to sulfites every time I am in contact with it.
On November 22nd, 2010 at 3:48 pm ,Melissa Barnes wrote:
I am allergic to sulfites and have gotten my wine fix by drinking Sake. TY KU is perhaps the tastiest
On November 22nd, 2010 at 4:57 pm ,Robert De Niro, old Champagne, allergies and China 3x — sipped & spit | Dr Vino's wine blog wrote:
[...] glycoproteins?! New research suggests that glycoproteins in wine may be the cause allergic reactions. Will we see a Surgeon General’s warning for glycoproteins on the label before we see any [...]
On November 26th, 2010 at 11:32 am ,Allergies and wine: glycoproteins | Dr Vino's wine blog wrote:
[...] has been what causes headaches (aside from drinking too much). As we have discussed before, histamines that naturally occur in wine could be a cause of some allergic reactions. Now there is something [...]
On December 13th, 2010 at 8:46 am ,ALERGIAS Y VINO: GLICOPROTEÍNAS @ ARGENCERT ARGENEWS 2009 wrote:
[...] dolores de cabeza (aparte de haber bebido demasiado). Como ya se ha discutido, las histaminas (histamines) que ocurren naturalmente en el vino podrían ser la causa de algunas reacciones alérgicas. Pero [...]
On December 16th, 2010 at 9:28 am ,ALLERGIES AND WINE: GLYCOPROTEINS @ ARGENEWS! English wrote:
[...] has been what causes headaches (aside from drinking too much). As we have discussed before, histamines that naturally occur in wine could be a cause of some allergic reactions. Now there is something [...]
On January 22nd, 2011 at 9:17 pm ,Bill wrote:
Jim,
My wife gets a bad headache and often migrane from chocolate, cheese, beer and red wine/cheap white wine – but not alcohol. The reaction and relationship are not clear until you forego all of the above for a couple of months, then it is consistently and painfully clear. The cheap white wine reaction is due to squeezing the grapes so hard that the juice from the hulls contaminates the juice from the interior. It is due to tyramine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foods_containing_tyramine. The darker the chocolate and more aged the cheese the more significant the problem.
On February 18th, 2011 at 10:45 am ,Headaches, histamines and GM yeast [ML01] | Dr Vino's wine blog wrote:
[...] as we have discussed before, whether amines in wine cause allergic reactions remains open for debate. One clinical study found no correlation between the two. The Oxford Companion to Wine writes that [...]
On February 23rd, 2011 at 10:36 pm ,Storytellersrus wrote:
I read the histamine/sulfite discussion above with great interest, however the reason I found this site is because I googled “allergies and fine wine.” Do you think there might be a correlation between those who have casein allergies or egg white allergies and negative reactions to red wine from vineyards who fine their wine using these substances? I understand there is a straining process, but might it be possible that casein or egg whites remain in the liquid? Thanks.
On April 1st, 2011 at 4:00 pm ,Sustainable Wine Review: Top 5 Myths About Sulfites – Eat Drink Better wrote:
[...] in an average glass of wine will measure 10mg, whereas a 2oz serving of those bright orange dried apricots typically has 112mg. Yep, over 10 times as much as a glass of [...]
On April 5th, 2011 at 9:51 am ,Top 5 Myths About Sulfites in Wines wrote:
[...] in an average glass of wine will measure 10mg, whereas a 2oz serving of those bright orange dried apricots typically has 112mg. Yep, over 10 times as much as a glass of [...]
On May 15th, 2011 at 9:25 am ,Susan (commoncents) wrote:
Hello Dr. Vino. Nice to find your site. I am not a Winer but perhaps a Whiner.
Wine and aged cheese eaten at one time gave me two full days of headache pain. We can speak about numbers and sulfites and molds as to the cause but, if it bothers one …cut out the offender. However, if wine is ones drink of choice, one may want to try this…..
Make your own wine. If the processed and ‘supposedly fine’ wines bother you, find a wonderful older Italian or French gentleman and he can tell you how to make wine naturally. The house I rented for four years in the 60′s had very old grapevines brought from Italy in the back. The man who owned them would come up and gather the grapes and make red wine every year. He couldn’t make much with only one arbor, but knew how to care for the vines, to get the best from them naturally. His wine was wonderful and clear. I suppose now they would call it organic. I called it exceptional.
On May 20th, 2011 at 3:01 pm ,Candace Mc wrote:
I really am allergic to alcohol. I do not possess the enzyme required to process alcohol by breaking it down into two components — one is sugar, the other is released through the lungs — the one that gives most people that “happy” feeling. In my case there is no “happy” feeling. I do not have the aldehydedehydrogenase in my bloodstream – the enzyme of which I speak. It is hereditary. Basically, if I take a sip of alcohol it turns into formaldehyde when it hits my lips and I have trouble breathing and get extremely ill, requiring antibiotics. It probably wouldn’t kill me — I just get very, very sick. My father had it too — later in life for him. He could not drink either — Like father, like daughter!
On May 20th, 2011 at 3:51 pm ,Sondra wrote:
If you are missing an enzyme, it is not an allergy. Your lack of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) results in metabolic products that cause your reactions. An allergy means that your body is making antibodies to ADH or antthing else. The ADH problem is most often seen in Asian people, a genetic error.
Quite a shame to not be able to enjoy wine.
On June 16th, 2011 at 12:54 pm ,Fonda wrote:
Can I contact you and show you some photos of the allergic reaction I ha over the weekend? It has to be from alcohol an it was really bad! Thanks!
On June 18th, 2011 at 3:23 pm ,Scarlett Hepworth wrote:
I have never been bothered by the sulfites in wine. I’m a wine enthusiast, live in California, and never ever have had a reaction to sulfites in wine. BUT: I cannot eat a serving of french fries from a burger joint or a salad at a restaurant without having an attack of severe phlegm-filled coughing within about 20 minutes of finishing. Why don’t the sulfites in wine bother me the way the added sulfites in restaurant produce do.
On September 15th, 2011 at 9:46 am ,Sharon wrote:
I’ve read the article and all the posts here and still have no clue as to what “allergen” my body may be responding to. For the past 27 years, I’ve had a reaction to both wine and beer that causes a burning sensation in my face/forehead with resulting bright red splotches — this after only a sip or two of wine (red or white). I have the same reaction to niacin tablets. A couple of weeks ago I developed a light, itchy rash on my wrists. A few days ago I got the same, but more intense, rash while crushing grapes (our own organic) for wine and realized the first rash developed after I crushed grapes for juice. So, what’s the common denominator between beer/wine/grapes that can cause both an internal and external reaction?
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On November 9th, 2011 at 11:58 pm ,Magda Neser wrote:
I have a different problem out of the blue when I drink wine I get with some heart pulpatations and now a days I find that I get hot spouts my feet hands ears are starting to warm up so badly I can sleep something like hot flusses.
What could this be please advise?
On November 13th, 2011 at 11:53 pm ,Dave Ryan wrote:
My reaction to drinking wine is shortness of breath. I am asthmatic so I must be in that small percentage of people that are prone to sensivity to sulfites. I developed the sensitivity in my 40′s. Before that I never had a problem. I stopped drinking alcohol altogether for about 10 years. I was being treated for cervical spondylosis by a practioner of Chinese medicine. He used a combination of acupunture and Tui-Na. I told him about my asthma and sulfite sensitivity. After treatment I was able to tolerate wine drinking again. That was about 2 years ago. The problem seems to be returning. I will go back to get more treatment and see if it is effective.
On December 1st, 2011 at 1:29 pm ,Annie wrote:
I LOVE red wine. On many occassions, it does bother me in the form of stuffy nose and asthma-like symptoms for the next day or 2. It is not consistant and only happens about 1/2 of the time. I think it probably has more to do with my body and what is going on inside than the wine. I am guessing the wine may trigger something but not the cause. I usually take a few sips and see where it is going before I proceed. Usually one glass will be OK if I pay attention to what is happening in my body. However, if I proceed slowly I can usaully figure it out pretty quickly whether or not I can have more. I am unwilling to give it up (so few things I enjoy so much!!) so this process seems to work for me.
So, somtimes it is not an all-or-nothing proposition. I think of it as “use caution and proceed slowly”…..
Cheers!!
On December 22nd, 2011 at 6:04 am ,Terry wrote:
For over fifteen years I have not been able to drink alcohol due to a condition called Samter’s Triad. IT is asthma, nasal polyps and an allergy to aspirin/ibuprofren. Any type of alcohol (including beer) can be added to the mix. I’m really starting to think that sulfites could be the cause of my problems with the nasal polyps. I do miss the occasional glass of wine.