Does Wine Give You a Hangover and How To Cure It?
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Whether pairing a glass of wine with your favorite meal or popping a bottle of bubbly to celebrate, wine seems ever-present on special occasions. Sipping a glass of vino might feel enjoyable at the moment, but the next day is an entirely different story. Have you ever found yourself feeling less than stellar after a few glasses? Wine hangovers are no joke!
Let’s look at the science behind what causes a wine hangover to help us understand why our favorite cabernet leaves us feeling awful the next day. We’ll also explore different remedies to cure wine hangover symptoms — and maybe even avoid them altogether!
To effectively prevent and manage wine hangovers, it’s helpful to understand what causes them.
As alcohol moves through our digestive system, it’s broken down into acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is a toxic, carcinogenic compound, and it’s the culprit behind those nasty hangover symptoms we feel after drinking. Higher levels of acetaldehyde cause more significant hangover symptoms, which is why the more we drink, the worse we feel the next day.
It’s kind of like spoiled milk. If you accidentally take a sip, you may feel a bit queasy. However, if you drink a whole glass, you’ll experience much more than an unsettled stomach.
Any sort of alcoholic drink can cause a hangover, but wine takes things an extra step. In addition to alcohol, wine contains compounds and additives that contribute to even worse hangover symptoms.
Many of us compare wine to grape juice, which makes it seem like a healthier alcoholic option than others. However, certain additives from the fermentation process can induce even worse hangover experiences. Let’s take a look at a few:
The culture around wine also enhances the likelihood and severity of a wine hangover. We may not be able to exert much control over wine culture, but learning more about the different variables helps us disengage from them and consume more mindfully.
When all these factors come together and influence us to overindulge, we know what happens next: the dreaded morning-after wine hangover.
Symptoms of wine hangovers vary between individuals, but there are a few common themes:
Some vino virtuosos claim that wine produces a different intoxication experience than other alcoholic beverages. You may be wondering: is wine drunk different? There’s no evidence to back up the claim that drinking wine produces different intoxication effects. Still, there is some evidence that various types of alcohol produce different kinds of hangovers — and we can apply the same principles to wine.
White, sparkling, and rosé wines contain fewer headache-inducing congeners than red wines and tend to have a lower alcohol concentration. Red wines originate from sweeter grapes harvested later in the season, which are responsible for the generally higher alcohol content and higher levels of congeners in red wines.
We may try to avoid a wine hangover by finding the limit of what “too much wine” looks like. The amount of wine needed to feel drunk depends on a large number of factors, and individual sensitivities mean some of us get wine hangovers from small amounts while others rarely experience them.
For the average person, 2-3 glasses of wine is more than enough to raise blood alcohol levels beyond the legal driving limit. However, this level of drinking is verging on excessive, especially if this amount of wine is a daily habit. Remember that 2-3 glasses is about half a bottle of wine, and exceeds the recommended limit of “safe” drinking, so we shouldn’t use it as a guideline for intake. The social nature of wine makes it easy to pour glass after glass as long as the gathering continues — until the end of the night when we realize we’ve had too much. Determining our tolerance and practicing moderation is essential to prevent wine hangovers and their unpleasant symptoms.
Unfortunately, there is no magic wine hangover cure, but there are tools to help relieve some symptoms.
It’s important to remember that these tips are temporary solutions. By making mindful choices and practicing moderation, we avoid wine hangovers altogether and save ourselves from considerable discomfort.
Why treat a wine hangover when we can avoid one altogether? Let’s look at some effective strategies to minimize the miserable aftermath of a night of wine drinking.
With moderation, mindfulness, and a strong sense of priorities, we can find a place for wine in our life and avoid the consequences of the next day. When we have a healthy relationship with alcohol, we prioritize our health and don’t let the allure of booze overpower the adverse effects it has on our body. If your relationship with alcohol is interfering with your well-being, consider joining Reframe to start changing how you drink.
You’re not imagining things — wine hangovers are unique and come with a host of uncomfortable symptoms. While there are some effective ways to provide relief during the aftermath, the better option is to avoid them altogether. By making thoughtful choices and developing a plan for responsible drinking, we can raise a glass without increasing the risk of a wine hangover.
1. Does wine give you a hangover?
Yes, wine contains the same compounds found in any other alcoholic beverage. These specific compounds are what cause the feeling of a hangover.
2. What makes a wine hangover worse than others?
Specific additives found in wine and the effects of the fermentation process produce increased hangover symptoms.
3. Is wine drunk different?
Wine affects the body in the same way that any other alcohol does. Some explanations for why some people feel different when drinking wine include their expectations and the environment they’re drinking in.
4. Is there a cure for wine hangovers?
Rest and hydration help, but time is the best medicine.
5. Is there a cure for wine headaches?
The primary steps to get rid of a wine headache involve treating the underlying causes of the symptoms. Over-the-counter pain medications treat aches and pains, but resolving dehydration is better. Try electrolyte pouches or natural drinks like coconut water to replenish essential minerals.
6. What wine causes the worst hangovers?
Wines with a high alcohol content and those high in additives cause greater hangover symptoms. For these reasons, red wine is infamous for causing throbbing headaches and other excruciating symptoms.
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