Foods and Migraines

If you suffer from migraine headaches, then you need to know that certain types of food might trigger your migraines.

Significance

• Many foods can cause migraine headaches, along with diets, fasting and dehydration. By watching your food choices you may be able to prevent ongoing migraine headaches.

Types

• Food triggers include aged cheese and other foods that contain tyramine, which is a substance that occurs naturally in some foods. Other known trigger foods and liquids are alcohol, food additives or preservatives and cold food such as ice creams.

Effects

• These food triggers are known to cause headaches, pulsating pain in the head, disturbance in sight, and sometimes even vomiting. These symptoms can be difficult for the migraine sufferer to deal with. Migraines often cause a person to miss school or work, and can prevent the sufferer from enjoying a normal life.

Considerations

• If you suffer from migraines and want to find foods that may trigger your headaches, avoid all of the known trigger foods completely, then start to reintroduce trigger foods one at a time every two days. If one of the foods is followed by a migraine, it is likely a trigger.

Prevention

• Once you have determined which foods are the causes of your migraines, start avoiding those foods, eat foods that contain magnesium, and eat fresh nonprocessed foods. Another good tip is to eat three to four small meals a day, and do not skip breakfast.