Eleven in 100 people suffer from the debilitating symptoms of migraines, according to The National Library of Medicine Medline encyclopedia. The effects of migraines are systemic, thereby affecting more than just the head. Symptoms can last from 6-48 hours once evoked; therefore the best treatment is prevention. Preventive measures include the identification and elimination of triggers. Some natural treatments for migraines address the underlying causes of the disease while others provide acute, symptomatic relief.
Butterbur
Three independent clinical studies have investigated the effects of butterbur on migraine headaches, each finding statistically significant improvement in the frequency of migraine headaches. The article "Petasites Hybridus Root (Butterbur) is an Effective Preventive Treatment for Migraine" in the 2004 issue of Neurology affirms that some study participants received a 50 percent or greater reduction of migraine attacks with a 75 mg dose after four months of treatment.
Feverfew
Feverfew acts as a migraine preventative through at least three mechanisms. The potent active ingredient, parthenolide, inhibits the pain chemicals, prostaglandins, reduces blood vessel spasms in the brain, and blocks platelet secretion of serotonin. In clinical studies such as the 1997 "Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) as a prophylactic treatment for migraine: a double-blind placebo-controlled study," published in the journal of Phytotherapy Research, feverfew demonstrated its effectiveness, decreasing frequency of attacks, significantly reducing the intensity of pain, and decreasing other non-headache symptoms.
Magnesium
The 2002 review article, "New Migraine Preventive Options: an Update with Pathophysiological Considerations," published in the Brazilian journal Revista do Hospital das Clínicas, states that upon years of migraine study, research has settled on the conclusion that the migraine brain is "hyperexcitable." The causes for such hyperexcitability include, among many, low levels of cerebral magnesium. Magnesium has been investigated as a preventative strategy. The review article indicates that the common side effect of loose stools in the supplementation of magnesium has posed some difficulty in fully confirming it benefits, but suggests that the magnesium could be given in lower dosage than studied, approximately 64 mg twice a day and tapered up to 128 mg twice a day, as the intestines become tolerant.
B2 (Riboflavin)
The Brazilian journal article also discussed B2 as a preventative nutrient useful in decreasing migraine frequency. B2 is involved in production of energy within the mitochondria, or powerhouse of cells. The article explains another widely accepted theory on the origin of migraine. They are thought to arise from low energy and oxygen production within the cells. A double-blind study of a high dose of B2 versus placebo confirmed its effectiveness in being "significantly superior at reducing the attack frequency, headache intensity and other indexes after three months of therapy", without any adverse effects.
B6, B12, Folic Acid and Betaine
According to a 2003 Biomed Central article, "The Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene Variant C677T Influences Susceptibility to Migraine with Aura," migraine sufferers and stoke patients share a gene mutation that seems to be folic acid-dependent. The small vessels of the brain and the heart are susceptible to damage by a substance known as homocysteine. Homocysteine is the toxic intermediate in the conversion between two amino acids in the body, methionine and cysteine. Homocysteine levels can only remain low if a continuous supply of vitamins B6, B12, folate, and the choline-derivative betaine are available, to promote its conversion back into the precursor amino acids. The Biomed Central article linked 10 percent of migraine (with aura) sufferers to this genetic susceptibility, particularly those of Caucasian descent. Diane McKay from the Tufts University Human Research Center on Aging proved that a multivitamin/mineral supplement, at 100 percent of daily value, in addition to a folate-fortified diet increased blood levels of B vitamins and reduced high homocysteine within an eight-week period.
