Migraine and Diet

20 Jun

Posted by admin as Uncategorized

What is the Relationship Between Migraine and Diet?

Although dietary restriction isn’t considered a treatment for migraine, identifying any foods that have triggered symptoms and avoiding those foods may help some people prevent migraine attacks. According to a report by J Gordon Millichap, MD, published in the journal Pediatric Neurology, the list of foods, beverages, and additives thought to trigger or exacerbate migraine symptoms in some people includes: Cheese, Chocolate, Citrus fruits, Hot dogs, Monosodium glutamate, Aspartame, Fatty foods.

The migraine eliminates Diet

Some people with migraines are sensitive to certain chemicals that occur naturally in foods. The chemicals that most commonly trigger migraines are tyramine and other amines, including phenylethylamine and histamine. Foods that contain tannins, compounds that occur naturally in plants, can also trigger migraines. Learn the diet guidelines of the migraine elimination diet, and find out how to systematically eliminate certain food groups to identify foods that may be triggering migraines.

Role of diet in migranes heaches

Migraine headaches are a common neurological disorder, and studies show that their prevalence has increased in the last twenty years, especially in children. The cause of the increase in prevalence is not known. The stress of a more hectic and competitive life-style is postulated as a factor, but changes in dietary habits may be equally responsible. Other factors known to precipitate headaches in migraine-susceptible persons (migraineurs) include fatigue, exercise, sleep deprivation, bright lights, head trauma, infection, menstruation, and oral contraceptives. A predisposition to migraine headaches has a neuro-vascular and neurochemical mechanism, and the disorder is frequently inherited. The dietary factors known to activate the headache mechanism are called “migraine triggers.”

Can Changing Your Diet Help Your Migraines?

The National Headache Foundation estimates that 28 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. In fact, migraine is listed as the 19 the most common cause of disability according to the World Health Organization, costing American industry around $50 billion from absenteeism and medical expenses. Many sufferers turn to over-the-counter painkillers or prescription medications to treat the symptoms of a migraine, creating a vastly profitable niche for the pharmaceutical industry. Some consider it a blessing that better drugs are now available to treat the symptoms of the migraines they have long endured. However, many are also interested in understanding the underlying cause of their migraines so they can prevent, rather than just treat migraines.Since diet is linked to so many aspects of overall health, it makes sense to consider the role food choices play in causing, preventing, or treating these debilitating headaches.

Amines are derived from the breakdown of protein or from fermentation during food processing. They occur naturally in foods and may trigger migraine symptoms in some people. It is advisable to seek professional help with an elimination diet to identify likely offending substances. This low amine diet is suitable for those who have been diagnosed as amine sensitive. Migraines with triggers other than Amine Sensitivity may not benefit from this diet.

Foods that can start the migraine reaction. Though not technically an allergy, these foods can cause something like an allergic reaction when it comes to migraines. Diet requirements are different in everyone, but there are some common “diet headache migraine foods to avoid.

Tags: