Migraine Diet

Migraine headaches are often characterized with severe pulsating or throbbing pain in one area of the head.  These headaches may be accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound which could result in waves of dizziness and nausea.  Migraines are nearly three times more common in women than men.  How does your diet affect your migraine experience?  Could making some changes in your diet be a simple fix for migraine discomfort?

Food-Related Headaches

While the stresses and strains of your daily routine and work requirements could result in a build-up of tension and stress in the body leading to a migraine, what you enjoy for lunch or as a snack could compound your risk of inducing a migraine.  One example is eating aged cheese and processed meats.  These two foods are very high in tyamine an amino acid responsible for the breakdown of protein in certain foods.   The most common sources of tyamine are foods that are aged, fermented, stored for long periods of time, or simply not fresh.  In an effort to reduce risks of migraines, doctors recommend avoiding foods high in tyamine such as:

• Aged Cheeses – Blue cheese, Brie, Cheddar, Stilton, Feta, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Muenster, Parmesan, Swiss, and processed cheese products.
• Deli meats
• Pickles
• Onions
• Olives
• Raisins
• Nuts
• Avocados,
• Red wine
• Canned soups

If you know you will be consuming one of these foods at mealtime or you love it too much too eliminate from your diet, doctors suggest taking a preventative medication to ease the intensity once the migraine progresses.  Some people may experience a much higher sensitivity to tyamine than others.  Monitor how your body handles and responds to eating these items and if it creates any changes in migraine symptoms.

There are numerous other food items that are common triggers, so be mindful when making food choices on if those items could be problematic.  Some other trouble foods include:  chocolate, citrus fruit, hot dogs (contains nitrates), aspartame (artificial sweeteners), ice cream, and foods with high fat content.  Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is also a well-known headache creator.  MSG is most commonly known for being used to enhance the flavor of foods served in Chinese restaurants, though it can also be found in salad dressings, frozen dinners, stuffing, soups, soy sauce, and some type of chips.  In addition to maintaining a diet low in tyamine, doctors have found that some of these other trouble-makers may be high in phehylethylamine and histamine.  Be sure to read food labels when buying groceries and really know what you are eating.

Anti-Migraine Diet

Is it possible to say, “Eat these things and you will never have a migraine again?”  Well, it isn’t really that simple, but there are few things that could help you to eliminate possible food triggers that result in migraines.  Diet isn’t an actual treatment of migraines, but identifying foods in your diet that may acts as triggers, as well as maintaining regularly scheduled meals, are helpful in properly and successfully managing migraine-related discomfort.  Skipping meals and allowing your blood sugar levels to drop could cause a migraine attack.  Consider setting up a meal plan that consists of three meals a day with an evening snack or six small meals spread throughout the day to keep body energized and blood sugar levels stabilized.

As a dietary support, doctors recommend consuming foods high in vitamin B, specifically B-2 or Riboflavin, as studies have shown it drastically reduces the intensity and frequency of migraines.  Some foods rich in Riboflavin include: dried herbs, peppers, liver, soybeans (edamame), almonds, wheat bran, fish (mackerel, trout and salmon), sesame seeds, and sundried tomatoes.  Finding ways to include some of these items will make a wonderfully impact on your overall migraine experience and treatment plan.

While there isn’t a set diet you can start keeping a food journal to help you identify trends in your eating habits and what may be acting as a migraine trigger.  This documentation will be helpful in eliminating potential trouble-makers from your diet and hopefully reducing the number and intensity of migraines experienced. When performing an elimination diet, don’t eliminate all items at once.  Select a few items to eliminate from your diet and monitor changes.  You can slowly try to reintroduce to see if they were truly an active trigger for your migraines or not.

Tags: blurred vision, constipation, migraine attack, migraine headahces, migraine symptoms, migraine treatment, nausea, vomiting