Do you suffer from acidity after a night out? Your red wine could be the culprit. Samreen Samad tells you more
If you enjoy a sinful glass of wine every now and then, there are some things you should keep in mind. Besides dizziness, temporary memory loss and a hangover, drinking too much red wine can cause debilitating heartburn.
Alcohol in general is known to cause acid indigestion, but this effect is worse while drinking wine. Red wine contains strong acids such as artaric acid, potassium hydrogen tartrate and malic acid which can cause severe heartburn. These acids are important structural components of wine. If a wine is too low in acid, it tastes flat and dull. The more the acid, the stronger your wine and more chances of heartburn.
If you suffer from heartburn and acidity, it’s best to give up wine completely, but if you cannot resist, then keep in mind simple things such as not drinking wine on an empty stomach. Wine is very acidic in nature and having food in your system before you start drinking gives your body a bit of a buffer to handle the acid in your stomach. It is best that you have a small meal before you start drinking.
Another option is to switch from red wine to white wine. Any wine can cause heartburn, but red wine is more acidic than white wine. Also, white wine is served chilled which is better than red wine that is served at room temperature, as warm beverages can cause heartburn.
You can also take an acid reducer 20-60 minutes before you consume any wine, as this can help prevent heartburn.