Migraines & Diet
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Triggers
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A wide range of things can trigger a migraine. Some of these include: lack of sleep, fatigue, exercise, bright lights, anxiety and stress. Environmental factors such as weather or altitude can play a part. In women, hormonal activity can increase the likelihood of a migraine. Diet can also be a factor.
Sometimes, one trigger by itself is not enough to cause a migraine, but the cumulative effect of two or more will cause one.
Keep a Diary
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To help determine what causes your migraine, it's important to keep a diary. The diary should include activity related to the above trigger list as well as a complete food consumption list. Where appropriate, include the brand names of the foods you consume. For example, don't just record wine, but specify the type and brand of wine, as some grapes may be problematic, where others aren't. In analyzing the diary, if a migraine has not occurred within six hours of ingesting a food, that food is most likely not a problem, at least not by itself. Again consider the need for multiple triggers. Some people can drink wine on vacation when they are relaxed, but not when working or in a stressful environment.
Fasting
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For many migraine sufferers, it is important to eat regularly. A drop in blood sugar may trigger a migraine. Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, in neurology at Children's Memorial Hospital at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago, reports that studies show about 50 percent of those susceptible to migraines get a migraine headache after 16 hours without food. He suggests that migraine sufferers eat three well-balanced meals a day. He also stresses that breakfast should not be skipped, especially in the case of children. If fasting is required for religious reasons, talk to your doctor about using preventive medicine.
Potential Diet Triggers
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There are a variety of foods that for many will trigger a migraine. Pay close attention to the following foods in the food portion of your diary. For most people, these foods will not show up as an allergy on a traditional food allergy test. Don't attempt to cut all of these foods out of your diet, but consider them as suspect in your food diary. Then cut the suspected ones as you test each one.
The chemicals that are often responsible for triggering a migraine are tyramine and other amines, caffeine, monosodium glutamate (MSG), nitrates, nitrites, aspartame, sulfites, food dyes, food additives and fatty acid.
These chemicals are found in aged cheese, strong cheese, citrus fruits, cured meats, chocolate, nuts, fatty foods, fried foods, pickled herring, chicken livers, meat and vegetable extracts, pork, seafood, canned figs, dried fruits, broad beans, tomatoes, caffeinated beverages, red wine and beer.
Healthy Diet
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A low-fat diet with complex carbohydrates may help reduce all aspects of a migraine. It is also important to eat regularly.
Specific foods that may be helpful in fighting migraines include peppermint, cayenne pepper, ginger, fatty fish and fish oils, garlic, oatmeal, and calcium-rich vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and kale, and magnesium-rich foods such as spinach, whole grains and black beans.
Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs
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Dr. Harvey B. Simon, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, reports that studies have shown vitamin B2 or riboflavin may significantly reduce the number of migraines experienced. However, this vitamin did not reduce the severity or the duration of the migraines suffered.
Additionally, studies have shown magnesium supplements are effective in relieving migraine pain, particularly with women suffering a hormone change that triggers migraines.
The herbal remedy feverfew is also effective for some, but overuse can cause rebound headaches.
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