Food and Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches are caused by a variety of factors that affect sufferers on an individual basis. Food has a significant impact on headaches, and missing meals can trigger a migraine in some people.There are a number of foods, ingredients and other substances that are common migraine triggers.
Alcohol and Other Substances
Aside from specific foods, what you drink and put into your body can trigger a migraine. Cigarette smoking --- or even just being around smoke --- can cause a migraine. Alcohol, particularly beer and red wine, as well as consuming too much caffeine can also make your head pound. Exactly why migraines happen, or why these are triggers isn't understood. But, it's thought that these substances alter the balance of certain chemicals in the brain, resulting in inflammation --- and a migraine headache.
Foods
It's the chemicals and additives found in foods that end up giving you a migraine --- not the foods themselves. Chocolate is a favorite dessert of many people, but it's a known trigger for migraines --- it contains caffeine, theobromine and phenylethylamine, all chemicals that trigger migraines. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is another factor in migraines: it's found in fast food, high-salt food and broth-based soups. The chemical tyramine is a known migraine trigger found in many foods, like onions, aged cheeses, nuts and peanut butter. Processed meats and cheeses contain migraine-causing nitrates, which are also associated with migraine headaches. Milk proteins, found in dairy products like yogurt, cheese, milk and even ice cream, are also migraine triggers.
Ingredients
The following ingredients in these trigger foods are the reason behind the headache --- but how do they do it? Tyramine causes very high blood pressure because of proteins that break down, resulting in a migraine. MSG, nitrates, salt and some other food additives cause the blood vessels to dilate, leading to migraines. Aspartame, the artificial sweetener, is also thought to contribute to migraines --- but the effect of the chemical on the brain isn't understood.
Avoiding Trigger Foods
Keep a daily diary or journal documenting your headaches to pinpoint the foods that are acting as triggers. As you realize food-headache links, you can avoid or remove the foods that you have determined to cause your headaches.
