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Are Sulfites in Wine Really Bad for You?
Robert Camuto, author of Corkscrewed, dispels some of the myths about those demons of the wine world, sulfites. Your red-wine headache could be caused by any number of ingredients.
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I'm told (at a liquor store!) that its the histimines naturally occuring in wine that give people prone to migraines headaches. I was also told and have researched that sulphites are necessary as a preservative otherwise how would they be able to safely package and sell the wine. But the root of the cause is how much sulphites producers use. In Australia there are limits federally regulated. Here...+READ
I'm told (at a liquor store!) that its the histimines naturally occuring in wine that give people prone to migraines headaches. I was also told and have researched that sulphites are necessary as a preservative otherwise how would they be able to safely package and sell the wine. But the root of the cause is how much sulphites producers use. In Australia there are limits federally regulated. Here in North America there are no limits to wine producers. So find a wine with low sulphites and research it and remember white wines have more naturally occuring histimine than red.-COLLAPSE
There are wines out there without sulfites, I have purchased them at Trader Joes.
I hope this post saves a life.
Sulfites, particularly bisulfites and metabisulfites, triggers anaphylactic shock and suffocation in some people, and a string of deaths in the 80s led to the FDA labeling rule in 1987. A salad bar sprinkled with "salad fresh" and a glass of white wine nearly killed me in 1986, and I was among the statistics that led to the FDA decision. Some years later, I nearly...+READ
I hope this post saves a life.
Sulfites, particularly bisulfites and metabisulfites, triggers anaphylactic shock and suffocation in some people, and a string of deaths in the 80s led to the FDA labeling rule in 1987. A salad bar sprinkled with "salad fresh" and a glass of white wine nearly killed me in 1986, and I was among the statistics that led to the FDA decision. Some years later, I nearly died overseas in a country that does not ban bisulfites, in a restaurant that sprinkled it on greens to keep them pretty for the tourists.
Camuto, people literally died to make that label that says "contains sulfites" . Instead of this condescending video, how about making one that talks about sulfite-triggered anaphylactic shock, and how to save a life if someone drinking wine starts choking and stops breathing. Yes, death is really bad.-COLLAPSE
I'm allergic to sulfites as well, so if the point of the video was to tell me to stop worrying and learn to love sulfites, it's pretty stupid.
On the other hand I know that there are wines that say, "no detectable sulfites", there are wines that say "no added sulfites," and there are wines that say only "contains sulfites". If the point of the video was to say that labels that simply say...+READ
I'm allergic to sulfites as well, so if the point of the video was to tell me to stop worrying and learn to love sulfites, it's pretty stupid.
On the other hand I know that there are wines that say, "no detectable sulfites", there are wines that say "no added sulfites," and there are wines that say only "contains sulfites". If the point of the video was to say that labels that simply say "contains sulfites" aren't really that helpful, then he's got a small point.-COLLAPSE
Lots of substances cause reactions when drinking wines.
Congeners in wine cause profound reactions, from immediate flushing and headaches to wicked hangovers. They are essentially impurities or toxins in wine, usually found in industrially produced inexpensive wines.
Tyramines in wine, cheese and dozens of other foods also cause wicked headaches (including migraines) and hypertensive reactions...+READ
Lots of substances cause reactions when drinking wines.
Congeners in wine cause profound reactions, from immediate flushing and headaches to wicked hangovers. They are essentially impurities or toxins in wine, usually found in industrially produced inexpensive wines.
Tyramines in wine, cheese and dozens of other foods also cause wicked headaches (including migraines) and hypertensive reactions including flushing, sweating, chest tightening and increased blood pressure.
Among those with asthma and sulfite oxidase deficiency, sulfites in wine and foods are greatly problematic. I also believe, like Ruth states, that allergic reactions are often the result of cumulative causes, i.e., exposure to one or two allergens may not cause a reaction, but exposure to three or four may.
Last, certain drinkers suffer from a deficiency or variation in the enzymes used to metabolize alcohol. This genotypic variation is often found in Asian populations.
So, if you don't know what it is causing your reaction to wine, or to alcohol in general, see a doctor. You may be allergic or have a sensitivity to an entire category of substances, and not just wine or alcohol. As the doctors say, tingling in the face after exposure to a food or drink one day is a throat swollen shut the next day.-COLLAPSE
@LWStenmoe: Thanks for the heads-up on the book. I don't live anywhere near your area, but I WILL look at the library to see if they have a copy of the book. However, I DID 'outgrow' my eczema by the time I was 11 or 12, thank G_D! (Not only was it ugly and itchy, but the foods I was allergic to were among my very favourites!!) However, as I mentioned, I STILL 'suffer' (and I'm not using that...+READ
@LWStenmoe: Thanks for the heads-up on the book. I don't live anywhere near your area, but I WILL look at the library to see if they have a copy of the book. However, I DID 'outgrow' my eczema by the time I was 11 or 12, thank G_D! (Not only was it ugly and itchy, but the foods I was allergic to were among my very favourites!!) However, as I mentioned, I STILL 'suffer' (and I'm not using that word lightly) from hay fever. It gets worse and worse each year, and it doesn't matter where I'm living. I moved from the rainy (and moldy) Pac NW to sunny and dry AZ, and still have the symptoms as badly as I ever did. Maybe I will learn something from the book. The doctors sure haven't helped me much, and the prescriptions for this are SO expensive! So, thanks again.
@ amyzan: I think you're judging this topic rather harshly. I think it's rather innocuous, and haven't noticed anyone posting nasty comments or fighting about their opinions. I also didn't find Mr. Camuto to be 'condescending'. I appreciate experts sharing their knowledge with us, and I also agree with him in this instance. As I said in an earlier comment, I react badly to many wines, but know I'm not allergic or even sensitive to sulfites. I mean no disrespect, but I do think that if a topic doesn't really interest someone, they should just skip over it. This IS a large group of people, and this site is so great BECAUSE there is something here for everyone. (At least anyone who loves food.) Just MHO.-COLLAPSE
This isn't so much of a chow tip as a quick opinion on a rather complicated and convoluted topic. Not so helpful, but plenty inflammatory and pretty much unnecessary. Cavuto comes across as condescending to a group of highly varied people with different needs and issues with wine. Again, not a helpful tip unless your aim is to incite people to argue.
@FibroLady: Have you ever read the book "Food Allergies" by Dr. William E. Walsh? I see him for atypical food allergies and in his book he talks about allergies to acids in foods, like citric, malic and tataric. I can't drink wine because I'm so intolerant to the acid in grapes. But when you said you react to citrus, tomatoes and chocolate, it immediately made me think of him. Those can...+READ
@FibroLady: Have you ever read the book "Food Allergies" by Dr. William E. Walsh? I see him for atypical food allergies and in his book he talks about allergies to acids in foods, like citric, malic and tataric. I can't drink wine because I'm so intolerant to the acid in grapes. But when you said you react to citrus, tomatoes and chocolate, it immediately made me think of him. Those can definitely cause eczema, I get it from certain foods too, along with hey-fever like symptoms. His research and practice is somewhat controversial, but I swear by it, my health has greatly improved since I eliminated certain foods and he completely changed my life in a good way. If you're near the Saint Paul, Minnesota area, he practices at the HealthEast clinic off of Snelling. Otherwise most libraries and bookstores carry his book.-COLLAPSE
People who have a true sulfite allergy must be very careful around wines. I have a relative who literally ends up in the ER after consuming one bite of food with sulfites in it (I've been there, it is no fun). There is no such thing as sulfite free wine. A wine may have no sulfites "added" but they occur naturally in the fermentation process. If you have a true allergy you cannot consume any wine...+READ
People who have a true sulfite allergy must be very careful around wines. I have a relative who literally ends up in the ER after consuming one bite of food with sulfites in it (I've been there, it is no fun). There is no such thing as sulfite free wine. A wine may have no sulfites "added" but they occur naturally in the fermentation process. If you have a true allergy you cannot consume any wine vinegars either such as balsamic, red wine, vermouth, etc. If you are asthmatic and showing the symtoms be very careful because you can end up with a progressive allergy that makes dining out a challenging and risky thing.-COLLAPSE
I am at home in France a bottle of ultra-natural wine in front of me made without added sulfur. But it says on the label "contains suflites." It has to because sulfur is a natural product of fermentation. So voila-- the label means nothing, but it somehow manages to freak out a good percentage of American winedrinkers.
www.corkscrewed.info
Lisa, A good friend of mine is also very allergic to sulfites. She discovered Frey's wine, a sulfite free wine, at one of our health food stores. It tastes great! Frey's vineyard is in California. Hope you get a chance to try some.
No, I won't "get off the case of the sulfites" until they remove them from wine.....and neither will thousands of other asthmatics. I cannot drink wine at all because of that chemical. It has nothing to do with a headache - I get an asthma attack every time that requires medication. Some people need an epi pen to control their negative reactions.
I'd love to have a glass of wine with dinner but...+READ
No, I won't "get off the case of the sulfites" until they remove them from wine.....and neither will thousands of other asthmatics. I cannot drink wine at all because of that chemical. It has nothing to do with a headache - I get an asthma attack every time that requires medication. Some people need an epi pen to control their negative reactions.
I'd love to have a glass of wine with dinner but until the US sells natural, unsulfited wine, that's not going to happen. And believe me, I'm not the only one out there who would love to enjoy a glass with their friends but just can't.-COLLAPSE
So sulphites aren't necessarily bad for you, but, having tasted plenty of 'natural', i.e. non-sulphited wines in France last year, I can tell you I'd rather drink them any day compared to 'regular' wines - taste-wise, they are so much more interesting, even if they are less reliable. So as far as I'm concerned, sulphites are bad for me, bring on the natural wine!
BTW, the 'headache' to which I refer happens IMMEDIATELY, by the second sip of wine, so it's not related to a hangover,(unless it's possible to have an 'instant' hangover?) Of course, since I DID 'outgrow' my childhood food allergies, I keep hoping I'll 'outgrow' this one as well, so will periodically 'experiment' with a glass of wine. "Hope springs eternal"! I've never outgrown my 'hay-fever'...+READ
BTW, the 'headache' to which I refer happens IMMEDIATELY, by the second sip of wine, so it's not related to a hangover,(unless it's possible to have an 'instant' hangover?) Of course, since I DID 'outgrow' my childhood food allergies, I keep hoping I'll 'outgrow' this one as well, so will periodically 'experiment' with a glass of wine. "Hope springs eternal"! I've never outgrown my 'hay-fever' allergies, which I've also had since childhood, in fact they seem to get worse the older I get. I do blame that on our environment. I also am seriously allergic to penicillin, I could easily die from that one. (Maybe it's the 'mold' in the wines that set off my symptoms, that's a thought! Maybe I should STOP all further experimentation at this point, in case it, too, gets worse. Wow. I wonder if that COULD be it? It never entered my mind before. I think it's worth discussing with my doctor, or just checking it out online first. IF I knew WHAT, exactly, to Google. Any helpful hints out there?-COLLAPSE
I am one of those unfortunate people who are simply allergic to wines in general. Red wine is the worst, but many whites will set me off as well. Just a couple of sips will give me a headache, and the muscles of my body begin feeling painfully tense. I CAN use red wines in cooking, as long as it's in a long-cooked dish, such as a stew. I also don't react badly to any vermouth, red or white, for...+READ
I am one of those unfortunate people who are simply allergic to wines in general. Red wine is the worst, but many whites will set me off as well. Just a couple of sips will give me a headache, and the muscles of my body begin feeling painfully tense. I CAN use red wines in cooking, as long as it's in a long-cooked dish, such as a stew. I also don't react badly to any vermouth, red or white, for some reason. I know that makes absolutely no sense, but I can't deny the reality of my situation, which makes me very sad as I miss some really great food-related experiences. Oh, champagne, even though white, will also cause me to react with the same symptoms. I've never been 'tested' for wine allergies, I don't even know if there is such a test, but I have had different allergies to various foods my entire life. As a child I would get terrible eczema from chocolate, tomatoes, and citrus...as well as several non-food items to boot. I did go through the entire allergy testing series, but I doubt that that they checked for wine allergies in a child. I DO react to plain grape juice too...but not the same reactions as to wine. Grape juice makes the inside of my mouth itchy, and 'puckers' my taste-buds,(?) and I didn't test positive for an allergy to grape juice as a child, at least as far as I remember. I wish I knew exactly WHAT I was reacting to in wines, but as there are so many 'ingredients unknown', according to this report, it would probably be a wash in pinning the exact one down. I don't react to sulfites, so I'm sure that's NOT it, as I can eat dried fruits and other sulfited foods with no reaction at all. Oh well, at least I can now eat chocolate and tomatoes. It had to be foods I loved I was allergic to...why couldn't it have been tinned peas and instant potatoes and marg, and the rest of the much-despised foods of my childhood? Life is SO unfair.-COLLAPSE
First, the whole question "Are sulfites really bad for you?" is kind of silly. Define "bad" and "you"! Different substances have different effects on different people, including some bad effects for some people.
The video states that the red wine headache could be caused by other ingredients in wine, but never actually names any ingredients, let alone any ingredients that have been associated...+READ
First, the whole question "Are sulfites really bad for you?" is kind of silly. Define "bad" and "you"! Different substances have different effects on different people, including some bad effects for some people.
The video states that the red wine headache could be caused by other ingredients in wine, but never actually names any ingredients, let alone any ingredients that have been associated with headaches (too much alcohol, of course, causes headaches, and red wines have more alcohol than white, on average).
Second, while the video only addresses the "headache" issue, sulfites can be bad for some people with asthma, under some circumstances. For example, when there's a high level of environmental allergens, drinking red wine on top of that will trigger an asthma attack for me. I believe it to be the sulfites because dried fruit with sulfites will cause the same reaction under the same environmental conditions. No dried fruit or red wine for me in houses with cats or during spring pollen season! That said, unless you know you have a reaction to sulfites, there's no reason to think they're intrinsically "bad for you."-COLLAPSE