Most Common Food Triggers of Headaches & Migraines

What is the root cause of headaches?

Headaches and migraines are often debilitating.

Because there are many known triggers, it can be challenging to address the root cause.

Nutrition is an important consideration for managing headache pain because certain foods can be a trigger or a source of relief.

COMMON TRIGGERS OF HEADACHES & MIGRAINES

stress

lighting & noise

poor posture

weather

hormonal changes

vitamin or mineral need

other health conditions

foods or food compounds* (tyramine, histamine, nitrates, sulfites, etc)

*Headache pain can be a symptom of hidden food intolerance.

dehydration

caffeine (or lack of)

alcohol

lack of sleep

blood sugar imbalance

sinus pressure

exposure to allergens

secondhand smoke

household chemicals

perfumes & air fresheners

COMMON FOOD TRIGGERS OF HEADACHES & MIGRAINES

tea

coffee

chocolate

dairy

beef

corn

cane sugar

yeast

processed meats

aged cheese

fermented foods

wine

aspartame

MSG

wheat

citrus

eggs

NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR HEADACHES & MIGRAINES

BALANCE FATTY ACIDS

increase omega-3s (fish & seafood) and decrease omega-6s (processed oils)

EAT FOR RELIEF

water, brown rice, cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes, cooked green & yellow vegetables, small amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRIENTS

magnesium, B2, B3, butterbur, CoQ10, carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid

RELIEF STRATEGIES FOR HEADACHES & MIGRAINES — *Other relief strategies include gentle stretching or walking, applying heat/cold packs to your head, massage, and resting in a dark & quiet room.*

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References

Diener, H. C., Rahlfs, V. W., & Danesch, U. (2004). The first placebo-controlled trial of a special butterbur root extract for the prevention of migraine: reanalysis of efficacy criteria. European Neurology, 51(2), 89–97. https://doi-org.uws.idm.oclc.org/10.1159/000076535

Headaches. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9639-headaches

Headaches. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/headache/

Mauskop, A., & Varughese, J. (2012). Why all migraine patients should be treated with magnesium. Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996), 119(5), 575–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-012-0790-2

Ramadan, N. M., Halvorson, H., Vande-Linde, A., Levine, S. R., Helpern, J. A., & Welch, K. M. (1989). Low brain magnesium in migraine. Headache, 29(9), 590–593. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4610.1989.hed2909590.x

Ramsden, C. E., Faurot, K. R., Zamora, D., Suchindran, C. M., MacIntosh, B. A., Gaylord, S., Ringel, A., Hibbeln, J. R., Feldstein, A. E., Mori, T. A., Barden, A., Lynch, C., Coble, R., Mas, E., Palsson, O., Barrow, D. A., & Mann, J. D. (2013). Targeted alteration of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids for the treatment of chronic headaches: A randomized trial. Pain, 154(11), 2441–2451. https://doi-org.uws.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.028

Thompson, D. F., & Saluja, H. S. (2017). Prophylaxis of migraine headaches with riboflavin: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 42(4), 394–403. https://doi-org.uws.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/jcpt.12548

Most Common Food Triggers of Headaches & Migraines