Hello and welcome to the nutrition diva podcast. I'm your host Monica Reinagle.

If drinking red wine gives you a headache, you've probably had someone tell you that sulfites are the likely culprit.

And perhaps you've been advised to stick to white wine or organic wines or wines made in Europe on the grounds that these are going to be lower in

sulfites. Well today we're going to clear up some of the most common myths

and misunderstandings about wine, sulfites, and headaches.

First, just a little background.

Sulfur dioxide is a chemical compound made up of sulfur and oxygen.

It occurs naturally in some foods but it can also be

produced in a laboratory. Sulfite is used to preserve foods and beverages which it does

by acting as an antioxidant and an antimicrobial, an antibacterial agent.

They are commonly used to preserve the color and the texture of dried fruits.

Saltite has also been used in winemaking for thousands of years, ever since the ancient Romans discovered

that it would keep their wine from turning into vinegar. To this day, winemakers use sulfur dioxide or sulfites to preserve the flavor and the freshness of wine.

Now, sulfites don't cause problems for the vast majority of people, but about one in every hundred people is sensitive or allergic

to them.

And if you have asthma, your chances of sulfite sensitivity are quite a bit higher, about

one in ten. The most common

reaction to sulfites is something similar to an asthma attack. Well actually

the most common reaction to sulfites is no reaction at all but for those who are

sensitive to them consuming sulfites can cause breathing difficulties and

less commonly hives or other allergy-like symptoms.

These reactions can range from so mild you might not even notice them to quite severe.

...