Quercetin May Cause Red Wine Headaches | Worsening Wildfires Are Undoing Air Quality Progress

12 snips

Dec 8, 2023

Researchers propose that quercetin, an antioxidant in grape skins, may be the cause of red wine headaches. A new study reveals that worsening wildfires in the US have led to lower air quality and increased deaths. The podcast also explores the oldest known fossils of mosquitoes, shedding light on mosquito evolution. The science behind red wine headaches and strategies to avoid them are discussed. The connection between red wine headaches and different types of headaches, especially migraines, is explored. The origins of brain-wide headaches and the role of the dura lining in causing pain are investigated. Hosts share personal experiences and fascination with migraines and red wine headaches.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Quercetin and Red Wine Headaches/ Wildfires Impact on Air Quality/ Oldest Fossil Mosquitoes

01:33 • 12min

The Science Behind Red Wine Headaches

13:08 • 9min

Understanding the Connection Between Red Wine Headaches and Different Types of Headaches

21:39 • 4min

Exploring the Causes of Brain-Wide Headaches

25:14 • 2min

The Mystery of Red Wine Headaches and Migraines

26:44 • 3min

What Causes Red Wine Headaches? It May Be Quercetin

It’s a common experience: After a glass or two of red wine, relaxation can turn into a pounding headache. This isn’t the same thing as a hangover, as the dreaded red wine headache kicks in between 30 minutes and three hours after imbibing.

For years, there have been different theories about what causes this phenomenon. But neither sulfites or tannins have been proven to be the culprit. A new theory published in the journal Scientific Reports posits that quercetin, an antioxidant in grape skins, could create a toxic byproduct that leads to headaches.

Dr. Morris Levin is one of the authors on this paper. He’s the director of the Headache Center at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, and has spent his career treating patients for migraines and other headache experiences. But Levin says there’s not nearly enough funding for headache research as a whole, which leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the origins and meanings of this common ailment.

Levin joins guest host Flora Lichtman to discuss red wine headaches, as well as the remaining mysteries of headaches.

Worsening Wildfires Are Undoing Air Quality Progress In The US

The Western US has seen both more frequent and more intense wildfires over the past couple decades, leading to lower air quality and increased deaths in the region between 2000 and 2020, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal. While the EPA has made progress in improving air quality in the country, those gains are being undone by smoke from wildfires.

The study looked at particulate matter called PM2.5 and a toxic component of it, black carbon. The researchers found that after years of trending downward nationally, the concentration of PM2.5–and the proportion of black carbon within it–began to increase in the West in 2010. This shift was linked to an increase of 670 premature deaths per year in the region.

Joining Ira to talk about this and other science news of the week is Rachel Feltman, host of the podcast The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week. They also discuss a surprise found in the oldest known mosquito fossil, why a national plastic bag recycling program was shut down, and why dwarf planet Eris’ surface is a little squishy.

Transcripts for each segment will be available the week after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.