Mysterious allergen in wine that causes headaches, stuffy nose identified

Scientists have identified the mysterious allergen in wine that causes headaches, stuffy noses, skin rash and other allergy symptoms.

Wine allergy occur in an estimated 8% of people worldwide. Only 1% of those involve sulfite, sulfur-containing substances that winemakers add to wine to prevent spoilage and also occur naturally.

But the wine components that trigger allergies in the remaining  7% are unclear.

Giuseppe Palmisano and colleagues suggest that glycoprotein - proteins coated with sugars produced naturally as grapes ferment - may be the culprit.

Their analysis of Italian Chardonnay uncovered 28 glycoproteins, some identified for the first time. The team found that many of the grape glycoproteins had structures similar to known allergens, including proteins that trigger allergic reactions to ragweed and latex.

Source: Journal of Proteome Research and as reported by DNA India.