Discovering Food Triggers Can Greatly Help Migraine Headache Pain

While migraine headaches are rarely solely caused by a food trigger. However, food triggers are one of the most commonly talked about triggers. Migraine headache triggers can range from environmental triggers to emotional triggers. Migraine headache sufferers usually only react to a food trigger if it is accompanied by another trigger. However, in rare cases migraine sufferers will react to only a food trigger.

Only about 25 percent of migraine headache sufferers have food triggers. That percentage can be considered higher if alcohol is considered a food trigger. Commonly, doctors will test migraine headache sufferers for allergies to their food triggers. Usually, these allergy tests come back with no markers of allergies found.

Common food triggers

Every migraine headache sufferer can suffer from different food triggers. Keeping a food journal can help migraine headache sufferers learn what their triggers are. This journal should include what is eaten and when. It can also include what other items could be considered a trigger like whether or not that day was stressful or a funny sleep pattern the night before.

Common food triggers include:

• aged milk products
• citrus
• soy
• garlic
• vinegar
• MSG
• aspartame
• caffeine
• alcoholic beverages
• gluten

This is in no way a complete list, but these are some of the most common triggers that migraine headache sufferers experience. While it is not necessarily recommended to make diet changes to treat a migraine headache, it can be helpful to learn what foods trigger a migraine headache.

Elimination diet

An elimination diet is used to determine food allergies and food sensitivities. The basic elimination diet first removes all potential food allergens or sensitivities from the diet. Then, the idea is to reintroduce these foods back into the diet one at a time. This process works best when it is used under doctor’s supervision.

During an elimination diet, it is very helpful to keep a food journal. The food journal is used to log all food items and amounts as accurately as possible. Then add in any symptoms that are experienced. By doing so, it is easier to isolate food allergies and intolerances.

The basic elimination diet cuts out certain foods for a week to a month. These foods include dairy products, egg products, gluten, citrus fruits, corn products, processed foods, caffeine, foods that contain sulfite. Some of these foods can result in withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, but this should only last for a few days.

After reintroducing each food, it is suggested to wait a while until introducing the next food. Since all allergies and sensitivities are not immediately seen, watching symptoms over a course of several days to see if a migraine headache occurs. It is suggested add each group in after about five days.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that many migraine headache medications can contain caffeine. It is not advised to go off of any medications without first seeking the advice of a medical professional. Some medications can have nasty withdrawal symptoms if cut from the system all at once.

There are several other elimination diets that may be used. One of the most helpful elimination diets is called the regular elimination diet. This is where the diet is restricted to just the basics. Migraine sufferers are able to eat most fruits, vegetables, fish and meats but everything else is restricted. Then they slower are able to add more stuff into their diet. The reason that is the most helpful is because sometimes migraine headache sufferers react to more than just the standard triggers.

The most radical elimination diet is a fasting diet. This is a diet plan where for five days they are only allowed bottled spring water. This elimination diet is reserved for only the most radical of cases. This diet should also only be used under absolute medical professional supervision, as it can be very dangerous.

The elimination diet can be very helpful in finding out and treating food triggers for migraine headache sufferers. However, the elimination diet is not suggested for everyone.

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