0The New Complete Book of Food
Finally, very large amounts of alcohol may actually depress the mechanism that regulates
body temperature.
Sulfite allergy. Sulfur dioxide (a sulfite) is sometimes used as a preservative to control the
growth of “wild” microorganisms that might turn wine to vinegar. People who are sensitive
to sulfites may experience severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, if they
drink these wines.
Migraine headaches. When grapes are fermented, their long protein molecules are broken
into smaller fragments. One of these fragments, tyramine, inhibits PST, an enzyme that
deactivates phenols (alcohols). The resulting build-up of phenols in your bloodstream may
trigger a headache. All wines have some tyramine, but the most serious offenders appear to
be red wines, particularly chianti.Food/Drug Interactions
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc.). The FDA recommends that people who regularly have three
or more drinks a day consult a doctor before using acetaminophen. The alcohol/acetamino-
phen combination may cause liver failure.
Anti-alcohol abuse drugs (disulfiram [Antabuse]). Taken concurrently with alcohol, the anti-
alcoholism drug disulfiram can cause flushing, nausea, a drop in blood pressure, breathing
difficulty, and confusion. The severity of the symptoms, which may vary among individu-
als, generally depends on the amount of alcohol consumed and the amount of disulfiram in
the body.
Anticoagulants (blood thinners). Alcohol slows the body’s metabolism of anticoagulants such
as warfarin (Coumadin), intensifying the effect of the drugs and increasing the risk of side
effects such as spontaneous nosebleeds.
Antidepressants. Alcohol may increase the sedative or other central nervous system effects
of any antidepressant. Combining alcohol with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors
is especially hazardous. MAO inhibitors inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your
body that metabolize tyramine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods that
constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure. If you eat a food containing tyramine
while you are taking an MAO inhibitor, you cannot effectively eliminate the tyramine
from your body. The result may be a hypertensive crisis. Ordinarily, fermentation of beer
and ale does not produce tyramine, but some patients have reported tyramine reactions
after drinking some imported beers. Beer and ale are usually excluded from the diet when
you are using MAO inhibitors.
Aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Like alco-
hol, these analgesics irritate the lining of the stomach and may cause gastric bleeding. Com-
bining the two intensifies the effect.