Some people don’t feel at ease with alcohol… and some may even develop an allergy to alcohol. We don’t mean those who get a bit overexcited at the company party. Or those who get a little dizzy from alcohol. No, we’re talking about people whose drinks make them sick, who get red in the face, who make whistling sounds when they breathe. Or they complain of headaches and migraines.
In most cases, these reactions are because alcohol dilates the blood vessels and brings out underlying diseases such as asthma, urticaria and rhinitis. The symptoms of these diseases are the bodily responses that manifest themselves when we drink alcoholic beverages.
It could be that these reactions are due to alcohol intolerance. This usually occurs when our body does not have the right enzymes to break down the toxins present in alcohol. This means that our body does not metabolise the alcohol in alcoholic drinks properly. Alcohol allergy, on the other hand, is an immune reaction of the body to a specific component of the drink.
What causes alcohol allergy?
In some cases, what appears to be alcohol intolerance may be a reaction or allergy to a component of the alcoholic drink, such as alcohol or chemicals or sulphites and preservatives. Alcohol is a substance that can alter the immune system and increase levels of IgE, a type of allergy-related antibody. Red wine often ranks first as a trigger for allergic reactions, followed by whisky, beer and other wines.
Substances that can cause allergies
But alcohol is not the only thing that affects you when you drink alcoholic beverages. There are other substances called “congeners” that give alcoholic drinks their taste, smell and colour, but can also cause annoying or even allergic reactions.
For example, histamine, which is a substance released when you have allergies, is present in red wines and can cause headaches, heat, nasal congestion, diarrhoea or asthma. This happens to people who do not tolerate histamine well and cannot eliminate it from their body.
Another case is sulphites, which are preservatives used in craft beers and wines, and can cause asthmatics to have difficulty breathing. Sulphites are such an allergen that they have to be marked on food and restaurant labels.
Also beware of some additives, such as tartrazine and sodium benzoate, which can cause hives or asthma. If you are sensitive to these additives, you should look carefully at the ingredients of the drinks you drink.
Also, alcoholic beverages are made from plants, such as grapes, apples, oranges or cereals, which may contain allergens. But most of these allergens are destroyed when the drinks are made. Just watch out for mould on the corks of wine bottles, which can be allergenic for some people.
Why do non-alcoholic drinks not cause allergies?
Alcohol-free beverages do not usually cause allergies because they do not contain alcohol or other ingredients that can cause adverse reactions such as histamine, sulphites, additives or plant-based allergens, which can cause symptoms such as redness, nasal congestion, asthma, hives or anaphylaxis.
Non-alcoholic drinks remove alcohol and most congeners during the de-alcoholisation process. They are therefore safer for people with alcohol intolerance or allergies to any of their ingredients. They do not usually contain sulphites or additives.
At The Blue Dolphin Store, we make it easy for you. You can enjoy your favourite drinks without drinking a drop of alcohol. In addition to non-alcoholic wines, you will find all categories of 0.0% alcoholic beverages: alcohol-free beers, alcohol-free vermouths, alcohol-free spirits and much more. In any case, if you feel bad when you drink, the best thing to do is to stop drinking and write down what you drank, what you accompanied it with and what you did afterwards. That way you will be able to know what is hurting you and avoid it.
