Should You Worry About Sulfites in Wine?

By Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr Oz The Good Life

Q: Should you worry about sulfites in wine?

Oz says: While many wines bear the phrase "contains sulfites," most people don't have to blacklist those bottles. Sulfites might sound scary, but they pop up naturally as wines age, and some vintners add more to preserve flavor and prevent spoilage, says Chris Gerling, manager of the vinification and brewing laboratory at Cornell University.

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Whites have more than reds— the compounds that give reds a darker color act as natural freshness preservers. Only about 1 percent of people have a reaction to sulfites (like a rash, nausea, or diarrhea). And surprise: Dried fruits and processed foods like chips can contain more of these compounds than a pour of your favorite red (or white or pink). So if you've been eating these foods without symptoms, there's no need to grab a sulfite-free wine.

Get Wine Headaches?

Don't blame sulfites. (Research has looked into it.) We get headaches from other natural wine components like histamines or the dehydration that drinking alcohol can cause.

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