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Migraine Relief With No Caffeine

Achieving relief from a migraine headache without use of caffeine is possible. Caffeine often is a trigger for many people and can bring on a headache or make a migraine worse or last longer. Reducing the symptoms or mitigating the migraine headache completely can be done by combining several techniques that include foods to consume, foods to avoid and supplements.

  1. Eat Pain-Safe Foods

    • Foods that rarely contribute to migraine headaches are known as pain-safe foods. These foods include brown rice, white rice, cooked green, orange, and yellow vegetables, and dried or cooked non-citrus, non-banana fruits such as cherries, peaches, pears, plums, and cranberries.

    Identify Triggers

    • To identify migraine triggers, simply eliminate all common trigger foods from the diet. Common trigger foods include dairy products, eggs, chocolate, citrus fruits, bananas, any meat products, any wheat or bread products, nuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, and apples. These are the most common food triggers, also known as the "dirty dozen". Begin by completely eliminating these from the diet for a minimum of two weeks, then slowly and methodically re-introduce one at a time into the diet to determine the body's reaction to each food. Note that the body may take two or three days to react to a food.

    Avoid Tyramine

    • Tyramine is an amino acid that is found in food. It can also be a trigger for or perpetuate migraine headaches. It is typically found in aged food such as soy sauce, sauerkraut and salami. It is also found in some aged cheeses, chicken livers, herring, among several other foods, and certain types of anti-depressant medications.

    Use Supplements

    • Feverfew, vitamin B-2, magnesium, and calcium are all supplements that may mitigate or reduce the symptoms of migraine headaches without use of caffeine. Know that use of certain supplements may not be medically proven. Talk to your health care provider if you wish to start these or other supplements. Also, only use supplements after you have identified your migraine triggers.

    Treat Migraines with Food

    • Use pain-free foods and supplements to mitigate and treat migraines. Avoid meat and other animal products to minimize hormone swings; instead, choose beans, high-fiber whole grains and vegetables. If migraines slow or cease completely, re-introduce trigger foods back into the diet, if desired, slowly and methodically.

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