Healthy Ways To Prevent Migraines

The number of people who suffer from migraines is ever increasing. Coincidentally or not, so is the number of people who suffer from obesity, diabetes, depression, and anxiety disorders. Food choices have a great deal to with our body’s ability to function optimally. There are nearly 35 million people in the United States who suffer from migraines. In cases of migraines, studies have shown that those who suffer from them have low levels of certain vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals can be obtained through proper balanced nutrition and nutritional supplements.
Depleted Vitamins And Minerals
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been directly linked to causing migraines. People who suffer from migraines regularly have been shown to have low levels of the following vitamins:
• Vitamin D, which can be obtained through nutrition and regular exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D has a natural anti-inflammatory, soothing affect on the body. Low levels have also been linked to arthritic disorders, cardiovascular problems, and certain types of cancer. Interesting fact-Vitamin D is actually a hormone, not a vitamin, which is produced when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet B rays. This could be why migraines occur more in areas where sunlight is seasonal and limited.
• Vitamin B-6 helps breakdown histamines before they begin to circulate the body. Histamines can be found in foods that happen to be common migraine triggers like wine, cheese, and chocolate.
• Vitamin B-12 reduces nerve inflammation and helps the nerve structures regenerate after damage.
• Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps regulate proper muscle and tissue function. In recent studies migraine sufferers reduced their migraine pain and frequency of reoccurrence with use of magnesium supplementation by 60 percent. Magnesium sooths the muscles and can be obtained through nutrition as well as supplements.
These are some of the more common nutritional deficiencies associated with migraines but there are many other. Incorporating a nutrient filled diet shows great promise in fighting migraines naturally.

Prevention By Avoidance

There are many harmful foods on the grocery market shelves. It is important to know that just because it is considered “approved for human consumption” does not make it good for us. Foods that migraine sufferers should avoid are prepackaged manufactured type of foods that contain additives or preservatives. Foods such as hotdogs, cured lunch meats, and bacon contain nitrates and have an effect on blood flow to the brain. It is this reaction that has been linked to be a migraine trigger and should be avoided. Daily caffeine intake causes an over excited reaction amongst the nervous system and also causes the blood vessels to shrink and dilate. Caffeine has been used in treatment of migraines but with much greater success in those who do not consume caffeinated food or beverages on a daily basis.
Too much caffeine has been labeled as a migraine trigger for this reason and daily usage should be avoided. Aged cheeses like Blue, Swiss, and Cheddar contain Tyramine and Tyramine causes the ill effect of dilation and constriction of blood vessels. MSG or monosodium glutamate is widely used as a flavor enhancer and is found in hundreds of food items. MSG is commonly found on frozen meals, mixed seasonings, Chinese food, and snack crackers. MSG contains glutamate and glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter and if consumed in large quantities can become toxic and damaging to the nervous system. Migraine sufferers must be diligent about reading food labels if they wish to prevent these horrible headaches.

What To Incorporate

We can see the many hidden dangers in foods with all of the reasons listed above but not all foods are bad. There are plenty of healing foods that can be used to treat and prevent migraines. In the case of vitamin deficiencies the obvious thing to do would be to incorporate foods that are rich in these vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D can be obtained by taking a daily walk outside without sunscreen. Sunscreen is all the rage these days but it can block the much needed rays that produce vitamin D. Experts say that 20 minutes of unprotected sun exposure on the arms and legs will give a person the same amount of vitamin D that they would get from drinking over 150 glasses of milk. I would say that is plenty. Good food sources are milk, yogurt, and oily fish. Fish is an excellent addition to a migraine prevention diet as it kills many birds with one stone. Fish contains B-12, Vitamin D, and Omega 3 fatty acids which is great for the brain and nervous system. If you do not care for fish there are always nutritional supplements to consider as well. Herbal teas and supplements have effectively treated migraine pain. Good ones to have in the cabinet to help ward off acute migraine pain are:
• Ginger
• Valerian
• Butterbur
These have all successfully reduced migraine pain once it occurs. Each of these herbs have anti-inflammatory qualities and are great natural alternatives to pain killers which have lots of side effects. A good rule of thumb when trying to fight migraines the healthy way is to shop the outer isles of the grocery store. Stay away from packaged products that contain additives and preservatives. Prevention is possible through making healthy choices.

Tags: headaches, migraine attacks, migraine treatment, Migraines, side effects, symptoms, treating migraines, vascular headachce