Drinking too much isn’t good for you, no matter what type of alcohol you are consuming. Everyone who has indulged too much knows the misery of a hangover, with the pounding headache, upset stomach, sensitivity to light, and more.

While miserable, the cause of hangovers is pretty clear, so it doesn’t need to be studied much.

Drinking red wine can definitely cause a hangover if you consume enough of it, but for some people, enjoying even just one small glass of red can leave their head pounding. In that population of people, drinking other alcoholic drinks doesn’t have the same effect, so what’s the deal?

There have been plenty of theories floating around over the years, but none of them have been able to stand up to scrutiny.

According to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, however, that may no longer be the case.

The new study says that a pigment in the grapes called quercetin may be what causes some people to get headaches.

Quercetin is found in many different fruits and vegetables and is generally harmless in most situations. It does, however, impede the ability of the body to break down alcohol, which is an issue when your drink is red wine.

This compound is found mostly in the skin of grapes, which are included when making red wine. For the production of white wine, the skin is removed from the grapes, so this would explain why most people don’t have the same issue after ordering a nice glass of white.

The paper says that when the body is functioning normally, it uses an enzyme called ALDH2 in order to break down a byproduct of alcohol that is called acetaldehyde. This compound is known to cause headaches and flush the skin when it builds up too much, no matter what you are drinking.

The quercetin blocks ALDH2, which means it builds up much more quickly than it otherwise would, leaving the drinker with a terrible headache.

It is believed that about 8% of the population has a deficiency in ALDH2, which means they would be more susceptible to the issue as well.

The team wants to continue looking into this. Professor Morris Levin is an expert in neurology and the director of the Headache Center at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as a co-author of the study. He commented to the BBC:

“We are finally on the right track toward explaining this millennia-old mystery. The next step is to test it scientifically on people who develop these headaches, so stay tuned.”

Hopefully, future research can confirm what this study shows, and potentially even come up with a way to supplement the ALDH2 for those who need it so that they can enjoy a nice red if they wish.

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