Research suggests white wine can trigger rosacea in women

New research has led to a warning that drinking large quantities of white wine can significantly increase the risk of rosacea developing in women.

Rosacea is a skin condition where a stinging rash develops, causing red flushing of the face and dilated blood vessels. While white wine in the form of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc is a favourite alcoholic drink for many in the UK, new research reveals that drinking at least five glasses of white wine can increase the chances of a woman developing the facial skin rash by a staggering 49%.

It is not known why white wine should act as a trigger for rosacea, but it is thought that this may be because white wine weakens the immune system and causes blood vessels to dilate. The researchers found that if a woman were to drink only one to three glasses per month, her risk of rosacea would increase by 14%.

The research was carried out by Brown University, with the team studying the alcohol consumption of almost 83,000 women over a 14-year period. In that time, almost 5,000 women reported the development of rosacea. The study’s author, Dr Wen-Qing Li, said that white wine was “significantly associated” with the higher risk of developing rosacea in women, while the effects of white wine and its association with rosacea in men is not yet known. Until now, it had been thought that red wine caused an aggravation of the facial rash.