Hangover ? What if you were allergic to wines ? ?

by Jeanne Bourgain
19 July 2012 at 10h29 am

While the effects of excessive alcohol consumption are well proven, Recent scientific studies have shown that some people have allergies to wine, even with a moderate consumption.

A recent German study published in the journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 8,9% Women and 5,2% men are victims of intolerance to wine, and some even more widely to beer and other alcoholic beverages.

The study was based on a questionnaire distributed at random 4000 Seniors 20 to 70 years. On the habits of drinking and their consequences, The questionnaire was returned by 948 persons over whom 7,2% reported being intolerant to wine, right from the first glass. However, the findings of the study also show that the percentage could be higher, since some symptoms, as headache, were not taken into account. The analysis also showed that allergic symptoms related to wine consumption were more common in people with other food intolerances (and vice versa). Denmark, in 2010, a team from the University of Southern Denmark had already estimated 8% the proportion of people with allergic symptoms related to wine that were similar to those of influenza.

Autre fait démontré dans ces études : the majority of allergic symptoms is caused by the consumption of red wine. United States, an investigation proves that 30% of the population is allergic to several components present in some wines, especially to sulfites. Allergy to wine are well and truly and in proportions hitherto underestimated.

But a solution could emerge very soon since the Canadian government has donated funds to the University of British Columbia (UBC) for créer un « vin hypoallergénique » ! And some first steps have been made since the Centre for Research on Wine UBC has successfully developed a variety of yeast, organization essential to the fermentation of wine, properties prevents allergic. Cette même levure est déjà utilisée par certains célèbres producteurs de vin aux Etats-Unis et au Canada qui comptent faire de leur vin « hypoallergénique » un véritable avantage concurrentiel. D’autres recherches vont dans ce sens : scientists work and also on the genome of certain varieties ...

La recherche scientifique peut-elle réellement servir le marché du vin ? Yes, no doubt, et les quelques malheureux allergiques y verront certainement une opportunité… Mais faudra-il en arriver pour cela à des vins à base d’OGM ? That's another debate ...