The belief that wine alleviates allergy symptoms is a common misunderstanding. Antihistamines block the action of histamine, a compound released during an allergic response. Wine does not possess this blocking property. In fact, consuming wine often leads to allergy-like symptoms such as flushing or headaches in sensitive individuals. This reaction results from a complex interplay between the alcohol content and the naturally occurring compounds within the beverage.
Wine’s Interaction with Histamine Receptors
Antihistamines block the body’s H1 receptors, preventing histamine from triggering symptoms like itching, sneezing, and swelling. Wine does not block these receptors. Instead, the primary component, ethanol, acts as a histamine liberator, provoking the release of the body’s own internal histamine stores.
Alcohol triggers mast cell degranulation, causing these immune cells to release stored histamine into the surrounding tissues. This internal release significantly raises the body’s overall histamine load. Symptoms like skin flushing and nasal congestion may appear after drinking due to this effect. The metabolic breakdown product of ethanol, acetaldehyde, also stimulates mast cells to release histamine, directly counteracting the action of an antihistamine.
Sources of Histamine in Alcoholic Beverages
Beyond the body’s internal response, wine is a source of histamine because it is a fermented product. Histamine is one of several biogenic amines created during winemaking through the action of microorganisms. The concentration of histamine is highly variable, but it is generally much higher in red wines than in white wines.
This difference occurs because red wines are fermented with the grape skins and often undergo malolactic fermentation, a secondary process using bacteria. These bacteria convert amino acids into biogenic amines like histamine, leading to greater accumulation. Red wines can contain histamine levels significantly higher than white wines. For example, while white wines typically range from 3 to 120 micrograms per liter, red wines can contain up to 3,800 micrograms per liter, making them a more likely trigger for adverse reactions.
Understanding Histamine Intolerance
The adverse reaction many people experience after drinking wine is often due to histamine intolerance, which is distinct from a true allergic reaction. Intolerance occurs when there is an imbalance between the amount of histamine the body takes in or releases and the body’s ability to break it down. Symptoms arise when the body’s histamine-metabolizing capacity is overwhelmed, leading to an excess of the compound in the bloodstream.
The primary enzyme responsible for metabolizing histamine consumed through food and drink is Diamine Oxidase (DAO). This enzyme is produced in the digestive tract and acts as a front-line defense. It breaks down external histamine before it can enter the systemic circulation. When a person has reduced DAO activity or the enzyme is overwhelmed, the ingested histamine bypasses degradation and causes symptoms.
Alcohol further exacerbates this issue by temporarily inhibiting the function of the DAO enzyme. Wine presents a double problem for sensitive individuals: it introduces a high load of histamine from the fermentation process, and the alcohol simultaneously hinders the DAO enzyme’s ability to clear both the ingested histamine and the histamine released internally by mast cells. This combined effect leads to symptoms that mimic an allergy, such as headaches, flushing of the skin, hives, and nasal congestion.