The Connection Between Your Diet And Migraines
While migraines may arise due to a wide range of factorsand these vary from person to persontheres no doubt that diet and dietary patterns are linked to the condition. How so? Heres a quick breakdown:
- Certain foods and drinks contain substances that may trigger migraine attacks.
- Skipping meals or eating at irregular times can also bring on migraines.
- Obesity is a risk factor for migraines, so diet may be used to promote weight loss.
More research is needed about the exact associations between diet and migraines. However, the current consensus is that they increase the chances of attacks. And, for an estimated 20% of those with this disorder, certain foods and drinks act as triggers.
Everyday Foods That Cause Headaches And Migraines Foods That You Should Avoid
Before we mention the common foods that cause headaches and migraines, we would like to introduce to you some background information about these conditions. Migraines and other types of problem like a sinus headache and tension headache have a painful experience. When you suffer from migraines and headaches, you may face the symptoms such as nausea, pounding headache, vomiting, and light sensitivity. Migraines can be treated with abortion and antinausea drugs or preventive medications. The common treatment for the problem is using pain relievers.
Create A Prevention Strategy
Forming a prevention plan with your doctor is key. Your strategy should center around anticipating and alleviating triggers. That might involve increasing your hydration or temporarily using preventive medications, Dr. Klenofsky says.
Additionally, steer clear of migraine-activating foods, especially when theres rain or thunderstorms in the forecast, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Common offenders include:
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Can Cheese Give You A Headache
Here are some of the common allergies that can lead to headaches:
- Allergic rhinitis . If you have a headache along with seasonal and indoor nasal allergies, its more likely due to a migraine headache rather than allergies. But pain related to hay fever or other allergic reactions may cause headaches due to sinus disease. A true sinus headache is actually quite rare.
- Food allergies. There can be a relationship between food and headaches. For example, foods like aged cheese, artificial sweeteners, and chocolate can trigger a migraine in some people. Experts believe its the chemical properties of certain foods that trigger the pain, as opposed to a true food allergy.
- Histamine. The body produces histamines in response to an allergic reaction. Among other things, histamines decrease blood pressure . This can result in headache.
Treat an allergy headache the same way that youd deal with any other headache. If allergies are the source of the headache, there are ways to address the root cause.
Can Certain Foods Cause Migraines
Raleigh Medical Group, P.A.General Posts, Healthy Eating, Mens Health, Migraines, Womens Healthmens health, womens health
Migraines are not mere headaches: They are a serious, debilitating condition that affects 1 in 4 U.S. households. Twelve percent of the population suffers from migraines, making it the third most prevalent illness in the world, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.
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The Connection Between Wine And Migraines
To wine or not to wine, that is the question for many migraine sufferers who believe there is a connection between drinking wine and developing an attack. While alcohol in general is considered a common trigger by some, research from the American Migraine Foundation appears to show the risk is overrated. The most common reason for a headache associated with wine consumption is drinking too much of it. This presents itself as a hangover that causes stress, which is an undisputed trigger of migraine attacks. All the same, some patients develop headaches after drinking just a single glass of wine, especially when red wine is made from dark-colored grapes.
Tyramine: A Case Study In Migraine Trigger Mythology
Numerous foods have been implicated in migraine, ranging from cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, pickled foods such as herring, and even Chinese food. In fact, there is no doubt that certain foods can trigger attacks of migraine in susceptible individuals, and there are times when a consistent link between intake of the suspect food or beverage and the onset of migraine has been so obvious that the patient has learnt to avoid them already. Sounds straightforward but there are many exceptions to this rule, and one of them revolves around the ingestion of tyramine-containing foods.
One of the largest on-going migraine studies concerning tyramine is being conducted by N1âHeadacheâ¢. What have we found so far? User data can be visualized at the Migraine Trust, NHF Population Maps. Ironically tyramine appears to be associated more commonly with decreased risk of migraine attacks in about 10% of patients than increased risk in about 7% of patients in our Migraine Trust study. In other words, the vast majority of migraineurs in our study, 93%, donât have to worry about tyramine at all.
Tyramine has long been the culprit implicated in dietary induced migraine. Read any lay publication on migraine and you will be advised to avoid foods containing tyramine. However, in almost half a century of multiple studies, no one has been able to establish a clear link between migraine and tyramine!
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Food Additives That Trigger Headaches And Migraines
Do your headaches seem to come out of nowhere sometimes?
You may be surprised to learn that chemicals hidden in the foods you eat may be causing your painful symptoms.
Read below to discover 9 food additives that are known to trigger headaches and migraines, plus tips to determine what your own personal triggers may be.
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Foods That Might Be Causing Your Headache
If you feel like your headaches come on after eating certain foods, you may not be imagining the connection. Many foods do trigger headaches and migraines for certain people. The first thing you should do is start tracking your headacheswrite down what you ate before the headache occurred. If you write this down each time you suspect a food-related headache, you might find the cause or, at the very least, help your doctor find the cause.
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Food Cravings Predict Migraine
According to the National Headache Foundation, some people who get migraines may have subtle warnings by way of food cravings between 4 and 72 hours before the actual onset of the migraine. Note: This craving doesnt necessarily mean your migraine is triggered by the food itself. For example, while chocolate can trigger migraines for some people, concurrently, people with migraine may experience chocolate cravings up to several days before their migraine. In these cases, the chocolate cravings and the migraine are correlated, but one does not necessarily cause the other.
A List Of Common Migraine Trigger Foods
Most of what we do know about dietary triggers comes from patient reports, and as noted, they vary a great deal from person to person. Though theres evidence that certain foods can bring on attacks, more high-quality research is needed to confirm these links. Still, some food and drink triggers have been identified.
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The Fallacy Of Sulfites
Youll often see the wording contains sulfites on wine bottles, which means the product contains a sulfur-based preservative to prevent oxidization and retain freshness. Sulfites are naturally-occurring chemical compounds that prevent microbial growth and reproduction, and winemakers often add extra sulfites to the wine to extend its shelf life. Sulfites are also found in foods, and are believed to trigger asthma attacks more than migraines.
Red wine usually contains fewer sulfites than white or sweet wines do. If experience shows that sulfites could help to provoke an episode, stick to organic wines that usually have lower levels of sulfites. You can expect these to both taste differently and differ in cost as well.
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The #11 Special At Your Favorite Chinese Restaurant
Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer used to prepare many foods but the MSG content in foods like our favorite take-out may be higher enough to trigger a headache. To be fair, MSG isnt just in Chinese foods. MSG can be found in everything from frozen foods, to canned soups, and snacks foods. The higher the MSG content, the riskier it could be in terms of acting as a headache trigger. People with migraine may have an exacerbation of headaches after ingesting MSG, because of its effects on cranial blood vessels, according to the Delhi Psychiatric Journal.
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Triggers Of Migraine Headaches
Migraine Diet: Foods That Prevent And Ease Migraine Attacks
Once youve identified which foods are triggering your migraine attacks, and omit them from your diet, you will likely experience fewer and weaker migraine attacks.
If youre ready to completely restructure your diet for better health, in addition to migraine control, you can safely eliminate most of the foods listed above altogether. Some physicians recommend a plant-based diet for migraine control.
Of course, if you have special dietary needs or are on medication for other conditions, talk to your doctor first. You may also need to consider a plant-based protein supplement if you switch to a vegan diet.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine lists the following as pain safe foods for migraine sufferers:
- Cooked Yellow Vegetables
- Cooked or Dried Non-Citrus Fruits
During a migraine attack, caffeine can help ease symptoms. The American Migraine Foundation recommends that migraineurs restrict caffeine intake to one or two beverages per day, in general, but a small amount of caffeine can help subdue an attack.
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Start By Isolating The Foods That Trigger Your Migraines
Migraine attacks are difficult to combat, because they are not yet fully understood by the medical community. Most food triggers are simply those options that have been repeatedly reported as triggersso theyre a good place to start but not necessarily a comprehensive list.
The best place to start is an at-home food sensitivity test. These tests will help you narrow a very wide field of potential triggers to the ones that actually are causing adverse reactions in your body.
The whole process of testing and experimenting to find your food triggers might take a little while, but its worth it. And the sooner you start, the sooner youll be able to reclaim your life from those blinding, debilitating attacks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alexis Wisniewski is a writer and researcher with a deep love for good food and holistic nutrition. She enjoys exploring cultures and sub-cultures through their food traditions, andwhen home in Chicagoland with her husband and two boysis committed to organic, local ingredients. She has a passionate love/hate relationship with fasting.
How Can You Tell If A Food Is A Trigger For Your Migraine
- Eating a certain food should trigger a headache within 12 to at most 24 hours.
- Limit the food of concern for four weeks and monitor your headache frequency, severity, and response to treatment using a headache diary.
- If there is no change in your headaches, then that food alone may not be the trigger.
- Cautiondo NOT restrict all possible trigger foods from your diet for an extended period of time. This is not likely to be helpful, and too much concern about avoiding foods may be another stress, as well as decrease your enjoyment of mealtime.
- Restrictive diets should not be tried or followed during pregnancy. These diets are not likely to be helpful, and may prevent adequate nutrition for both mother and fetus because of the reduced consumption of calcium-rich and vitamin-rich foods.
- Restrictive diets should NOT be used in children and adolescents because of doubtful benefit, and significant social disruption. Prohibiting the child from sharing a chocolate Easter basket with his siblings or the teenager from attending a pizza party can significantly add to the social stigma of having headaches.
Keeping a headache diary and following your lifestyle factors along with diet may help you identify patterns to your headache. Onset of menstrual cycles, work stress, sleep routine changes, and fasting may all be confounding what is thought to be a food trigger for headache.
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What Makes A Migraine Different From A Bad Headache
A migraine is a neurological disorder accompanied by symptoms that are so severe, they are incapacitating. Researchers believe that a combination of genetics, disorders of nerve pathways and brain chemicals are main components of a migraine, and these make it different from a generic headache.
Migraine symptoms make it difficult for those affected to work, go to school, or function. These symptoms include:
- Severe pain or throbbing on one or both sides of the head
- Numbness in hands, feet or face
- Sensitivity to light, touch, sound and smell
Attacks typically last anywhere from four to 72 hours.
How Do You Identify Your Triggers
So how do you know which of these foods are actually triggering your attacks? Since food affects all migraine sufferers differently, the best thing you can do is examine your eating habits and identify patterns that could be potential triggers. By slowly eliminating foods one-by-one, you can start to recognize what spurs your headaches. Food allergy testing can also be helpful, though you should still be wary of certain foods even if you arenât allergic to them.
To keep track of your habits, Dr. Crystal recommends keeping a careful food diary for at least one month to record what you do and donât eat. If something is a trigger, an attack will likely hit 12 to 24 hours post-consumption. Youâll be able to trace the pain back to the sourceâor at the very least, narrow it down.
We know reading this might make you feel like youâll have to start living off of nothing but water if you want to avoid debilitating pain, but itâs important to remember that not all of these foods are triggers for every sufferer . Migraine is personal, and the only way to learn your specific triggers is to track your migraine, make one adjustment at a time, and see what helps.
And, of course, not all foods are your enemy. Check out this article for a list of migraine-safe foods or this roundup of migraine-safe recipes.
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Look At The Whole Picture
Simply writing down foods you eat and when is only a small part of the picture. In your diary, its important to keep a record of other variables that may contribute to chronic migraine. Did you eat on time or skip a meal? Were you stressed that day? Where are you in your menstrual cycle? Did you recently change your migraine medicine? Are you drinking enough water? How many hours of sleep did you get before the migraine came on? It may seem like a lot, but all this intel can help narrow down possible migraine triggers.
Is It The Food Or Something Else
While its easy to blame your diet, its difficult to pinpoint specific foods as definitive culprits for chronic migraine. Usually, the picture is a little convoluted. Lets say youre so busy with work, you dont have time to eat lunch. Hours later, you realize that youre starting to feel weak and stressed. So you hit the vending machine for a Hersheys barand 30 minutes later, a migraine attack rears its ugly head. So what was the trigger? The chocolate? The hunger? The stress? All of the above? With migraine, its hard to tell.
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Does Dairy Cause Headaches
With the exception of tyramine in aged cheeses, the research on dairy and headaches has yielded mixed results. For instance, the review in âCurrent Neurology and Neuroscience Reportsâ points out that processed dairy foods like cheese and ice cream are more often reported as triggers than plain milk.
On the other hand, a study involving nearly 84,000 university students, published in January 2020 in âComplementary Therapies in Medicineââ,â found that dairy intake was inversely associated with headaches. In fact, those who consumed the most dairy foods were 19 percent less likely to have headaches.
One reason for the mixed findings on dairy is that, unlike food allergies, food sensitivities can be hard to pinpoint.
A review of studies on migraines and food sensitivity testing, published in November 2019 in âCurrent Pain and Headache Reportsâ, notes that food sensitivities may trigger inflammation in the body, which may cause skin rashes, digestive symptoms, fatigue and headaches. However, not only can the symptoms vary, but they also may take hours or days to appear, which makes it difficult to identify the cause.
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