What’s the worst headache you can imagine? Probably probably a migraine.
About 45 million Americans suffer from severe or chronic headaches, and the number of those in the group that suffer from migraines is said to be in the range of 18 million. If you don’t have migraines yourself, you probably know someone around you who suffers from migraines.
So can our dietary habits really help alleviate migraines? Thank goodness, the answer is yes.
While stress is thought to be the number one contributor to migraines, 30% of migraine sufferers are thought to have a relationship with their diet. If you believe that some other migraine triggers are related to your diet (such as hormonal changes, stress, sleep habits, and depression), then the percentage of migraine sufferers who believe their diet is the cause is actually higher.
Your eating habits affect your chances of getting a headache in two ways.
Certain foods can trigger headaches; eating habits, such as being full, hungry, and not liking water, can cause headaches; and what happens when migraine sufferers know the foods that trigger headaches and change their eating habits? In a recent study, headache sufferers received over an hour of dietary advice from a registered dietitian. The dietitian then discussed and screened for headache triggers. The results of the study showed that many migraine sufferers reported decreasing headaches in the weeks that followed. At the same time, they were eating fewer headache-triggering foods.
A complex relationship The more you learn about migraine and diet, the more you realize how complex their relationship is. For one thing, “possible irritants don’t cause headaches 100 percent of the time,” Fredrik Feltag explains. explains Filletag. He is an M.D. and now works at the Diamond Headache Institute in Chicago.
Here are some of the complicating factors.
Food can often be a stimulant only when combined with some other stimulus. For example, food can only stimulate a headache if you feel stressed or have hormonal changes.
Whether or not you get a migraine may depend on the amount of food or drink you consume. This makes it difficult for people to find a connection between migraines and some foods or drinks.
Blacklist of migraine stimulants.
Why do some foods cause migraines? Some substances in foods can cause changes in blood vessel health, which can cause migraines in susceptible individuals. Some experts strongly believe in allergic reactions, but others disagree.
Regardless, it’s good to be aware of a possible headache irritant so that you can remove it from the menu and see if it helps reduce the headache. It would certainly be a good idea to chart the foods you consume as well as any headache reactions as well.
Here is my list of 5 possible stimulants.
1. Chocolate. Some migraine sufferers list chocolate as a possible irritant. Some neurologists say that the reason it may stimulate headaches is because chocolate contains the amino acid tyramine (see item 4). But the link may be because women are tempted to eat chocolate when they are under stress and have altered hormones. And headaches and hormonal changes can likewise stimulate headaches. The amount of chocolate intake may also be a factor. Do an experiment to see if you can cause headaches if you eat the right amount of chocolate.
”Some studies have shown that migraine sufferers who like to eat high-fat foods have frequent headaches.”
2. caffeine. Caffeine, whether in excess or in small amounts, has been shown to cause migraines. Not drinking caffeinated beverages will improve this condition. Fortunately there are many caffeine-free beverages on the market.
3. Wine/alcohol. Researchers used to think that wine would stimulate headaches because it contains the amino acid tyramine. (See the next article). But the latest research shows that the phytochemicals contained in red wine phenols are the culprit. For some people, drinking any alcoholic beverage can cause migraines. Beer, whiskey, and liquor contain another compound that depletes the brain’s complex amine content (“happy hormone”), which can also cause migraines.
4. Phenol cheese. Phenolic cheese is an amino acid that has been thought to trigger headaches by reducing the amount of compound amines in the brain, as well as affecting the degree of blood vessel expansion. Some experts now question the idea that foods containing phenol cheese are important headache stimulants, since the conclusion that food is linked to migraines is based on long-ago research. However, just in case, we have included it in the blacklist of irritants. Tyrosol may be found in the following substances.
Expired cheese, red wine, alcoholic beverages such as beer, certain processed meat products, avocados, ripe bananas, chocolate, nuts, seeds, pork, venison, and soy products.
5, food additives such as nitrates / nitrites and MSG. Some people believe that food additives containing nitrates / nitrites and MSG (monosodium glutamate) are very common headache irritants. These additives increase the flow of blood to the brain, which can cause headaches in some people.
Another reason to avoid high-fat foods.
Believe it or not, certain changes in blood fat levels coincide with the frequency of migraines. The bottom line is that you want to lower the level of lipids in your blood as well as the level of free fatty acids, and you can do this by consuming low-fat foods.
Some studies have shown that migraineurs who consume high fat have more frequent headaches than migraineurs who consume low fat. Lowering fat intake significantly reduced not only the amount of medication patients took, but also the frequency, intensity and length of headaches.
Dietary considerations during migraine attacks.
Freytag recommends a four-step plan for migraine sufferers. If you have been vomiting or are very nauseous, then follow these steps.
Step 1: Drink a refreshing soda (such as Seven Seasons, Sprite, or ginger ale – this is not the time to drink a low-sugar beverage) that has little gas left in it (pour it into an uncovered glass and let it sit for half an hour). Drink no more than half an ounce at a time. For the first hour, drink every 5 minutes.
Step 2: If you feel really bad, in the second hour, start drinking 1 ounce of non-fizzy soda every 5 minutes.
Step 3: If this works, you can drink a refreshing drink when the headache strikes.
Step 4: After four hours, you can start eating soft, low-fat foods (such as bananas or applesauce). no more than 14 ounces in 15 minutes. Do not eat dairy products or fatty foods for 24 to 48 hours. If vomiting occurs during this time, take an hour break and then go back to step one.