Some migraine sufferers consider their condition a life sentence of agony experienced daily or weekly, causing them to miss time for living and peace of mind. Certain herbs and dietary changes have shown improvement in some people with the reduction of migraine symptoms and their severity. Herbs may produce side effects and are not for everyone. If you decide to use herbs to treat migraine headaches, consult an herbal practitioner for guidelines regarding dosing. Changing the diet, both by eliminating known migraine-causing foods and adding foods that relieve the headaches may also be helpful in some cases.
Step 1
Eliminate known food additives from your diet that may cause migraine headaches, says the Relieve-Migraine-Headache website. Foods containing preservatives, flavor enhancers, nitrates, nitrites, and caffeine can cause problems for people who have sensitivities. Check all food packages for items containing these ingredients.
Step 2
Avoid foods and drinks such as chocolate, alcohol, sodas, coffee, tea, aged cheeses, peanuts, legumes, refined sugars and gluten-containing products, adds Relieve-Migraine-Headache.
Step 3
Eat foods that are known to protect against developing migraine headaches such as fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains without gluten, lean meats, poultry and fish.
Step 4
Add foods like turkey, or a supplement containing tryptophan to the diet to help prevent migraine headaches, suggests the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Step 5
Include herbs such as peppermint, cayenne pepper and ginger in the diet to help relieve migraines and their accompanying symptoms such as nausea, suggests David Conway in his book, "The Magic of Herbs'."
Step 6
Use the herb butterbur to reduce the duration and frequency of migraine attacks, recommends the University of Maryland Medical Center. The journal, "Neurology" reports on studies that found that butterbur acts to reduce migraine headaches. It reduces inflammation and works as a natural beta-blocker helping to stabilize the flow of blood to the brain and the blood pressure, preventing spasms in the capillaries. Only use butterbur that is labeled PA-Free, which ensures that potentially harmful toxins have been removed, recommends Dr. Andrew Weil.
Step 7
Dissolve a pinch of cayenne pepper in a cup of boiling water to make a tea, or sprinkle the pepper on food to lower the pain threshold. Eat fresh or candied ginger to reduce nausea during migraine attacks. Make peppermint tea by brewing fresh or dried peppermint leaves in a cup of boiling water and sipping to lessen vomiting and soothe the digestive tract.
Tips and Warnings
- Reintroduce foods from the above list one-at-a-time after having eliminated them entirely for a period of at least three months to clear your system. As you reintroduce each food, note if you react by getting a migraine headache. Tryptophan is responsible for releasing the brain neurotransmitter serotonin, which soothes jangled nerves, reduces depression for some people, and helps in the production of natural painkillers called endorphins.
- If symptoms persist after making the various lifestyle changes and using the above-mentioned herbs, contact a health practitioner for additional treatment. These suggestions are not meant to replace medical advice.
Things You'll Need
- Migraine-preventing foods
- Peppermint
- Cayenne
- Ginger
- Butterbur
References
- Neurology, R.B. Lipton; "Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective preventive treatment for migraine": December 2004
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Migraine headache
- Weil: Herbal Help for Hay Fever, Headaches?
- "The Magic of Herbs"; David Conway; 1973
- Relieve-Migraine-Headache: Find the Connection: Diet Headache Migraine Simple and Easy
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