Foods to Eat for Migraines

Migraine headaches cause severe pain that can last for days at a time. These types of headaches may cause sufferers to experience flashes of light, tingling in the arms and legs, nausea and vomiting and an increased sensitivity to both light and sound. Migraines are brought on when blood vessels enlarge and the nerves release chemicals that wrap around the blood vessels. Some common causes of migraines include allergic reactions, odors, stress, changes in sleep patterns, exposure to smoke, skipping meals, alcohol, hormonal changes and tension. Some foods such as chocolate and onions have also been known to trigger migraines.

Ginger

• Drinking ginger tea or eating ginger cookies is an age-old treatment to help with nausea symptoms, but ginger can also help to alleviate migraine pain as well. The Department of Environmental Medicine at Odense University in Denmark has completed studies that show ginger has properties that help reduce platelet aggregation. Platelet aggregation is the bonding together of platelets in the blood, which often form blood clots. Reducing this occurrence can help with the pain associated with migraines.

Spinach

• Eating foods rich in magnesium such as spinach can also help prevent or reduce migraines. According to Michael Murray, author of the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, magnesium deficiency has been linked to headaches. Many of the things that cause people to have a magnesium deficiency are also triggers for migraines, such as stress and menstruation. Spinach, other leafy green vegetables and unrefined grains are also good sources for magnesium.

Cayenne Pepper

• Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which is a natural pain killer, used to combat migraine headaches as well as other types of pain such as arthritis pain, chronic neck pain and diabetic neuropathy, according to sources such as the USDA National Nutrient Database.