Wine has always been projected as a Okay type of alcohol for our health. You are welcome in the successful Mediterranean diet. is considered beneficial for your heart health for its antioxidants. It is so ingrained in our culture that even Jesus drank it.
And yet, drinking alcohol of any kind, including wine, can create some negative health effects due to the way the body reacts to its chemical and addictive properties.
Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, an organic chemical compound made from plant materials that is produced by the fermentation of sugars. It is considered a psychoactive drug (causing altered perception of mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior), and ethanol is also popularly used as a fuel for cars and even some rockets.
So if your body is reacting badly mentally or physically to drinking a glass of wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, here are some of the warning signs you should be aware of. Then here’s why Even “light” drinking can cause this heart health risk.
According to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, wine is considered a major asthma trigger. The study concluded that 33% of participants experienced alcohol-induced asthma, with wine being the most common trigger, with symptoms ranging from mild to moderate. While more research is needed, experts speculate that wine-induced asthma could be triggered by sulfites in wine that are commonly used as preservatives. The study also notes that salicylates, a chemical marker for grapes and wine, could also play a role in problems related to wine allergies.
Are here Popular foods that make your allergies worse, says the doctor.
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Yes, “wine headaches“are actually a thing, and it’s not due to sulfites, although that tends to be the popular belief surrounding this particular condition.
Harvard Health explains that some users have a shortage of an enzyme that breaks down histamine in the small intestine. Histamine is a compound found in the skin of grapes and is more prominent in red wine than white. Drinking alcohol can actually inhibit the enzyme, which can lead to increased levels of histamine in the blood, dilating blood vessels and causing headaches.
You may have referred to it as “the twists” before, but it’s enough of a warning sign to think twice before taking another sip. There are a lot of research already that shows that alcohol consumption (not just wine specific) can cause dizziness to some extent, especially if you’ve had too much to drink.
the American Addiction Centers They say that dizziness can present itself in two ways when drinking: lightheadedness and vertigo. If alcohol makes you feel nauseating and as if you are about to pass out (dizzy) or if you are losing your balance and feel your surroundings moving around you without any real movement (vertigo), you are probably experiencing the spins in some way.
It is known as an alcohol flush reaction and occurs mainly on the face. The National Institute of Alcohol abuse and alcoholism (NIAA) says that blushing, also known as red face, occurs due to an intolerance to alcohol, which causes people to metabolize alcohol less efficiently. Red face may also be accompanied by hives, nausea, low blood pressure, worsening of asthma and migraine episodes. It is even linked to an increased risk of cancer.
If you constantly need a glass of wine, it may be time to talk to a doctor or other medical professional about dependency.
The CDC states that alcohol dependence does not always mean that you drink excessively, but could include a current or previous history of heavy drinking. Alcohol dependence is considered a chronic medical condition that includes “a strong craving for alcohol, continued use despite repeated problem drinking, and an inability to control alcohol intake.”
the NIAAA states that any woman who consumes more than three drinks a day or seven a week, or a man who consumes four drinks a day or 14 drinks a week, is at high risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines binge drinking as binge drinking on five or more days in a month.
According to the researchers, alcohol is considered the most harmful substance even compared to narcotics. If this is something you are struggling with, you can contact a medical professional or seek treatment through SAMSHA.
kiersten hickman
Kiersten Hickman is a freelance health and nutrition journalist. read more
