If you have ever had a migraine, you know they are more than the average headache. Causing intense pain, they also typically produce nausea, visual disturbances and sensitivity to light and sound. A variety of medications acts as preventatives as well as treat active attacks. No official "migraine diet" exists, but certain types of foods may contribute to the condition.
Link Between Diet and Migraine
While diet might influence migraines on several fronts, one of the biggest links involves foods and beverages that alter blood vessel contraction and dilation. Altered blood flow appears to trigger the migraine process. Many foods and drinks appear to play a role in this process. As far as diet for migraines goes, it is much more about avoiding or limiting certain things rather than making an effort to include certain foods in your diet. Allergies might also play a role, but this has not been as strongly established.
Tracking Diet
Like all conditions linked to diet, a few blanket triggers appear to apply to everyone, but you might also have other personal triggers. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends keeping a journal to help establish what prompts your condition; if you get a migraine, write down everything you ate in the previous 24 hours.
Migraine and Beverages
Alcohol prompts changes in vascular tone and if you suffer from migraines, you should limit or completely avoid alcoholic beverages of all kinds. You should also avoid any drink containing caffeine such as soda, coffee and tea. The National Headache Foundation, or NHF, recommends limiting intake of caffeine to no more than 200 mg daily and even advises against consuming caffeine-free sodas, teas and coffees.
Foods with Vasoactive Compounds
When the amino acid tyrosine breaks down, it creates tyramine, which has been linked to migraines. The NHF advises you to eat a diet low in tyramine and other substances that cause blood vessel alteration. Particularly rich sources of tyramine include processed and aged meat and dairy. Choose fresh cuts of meat rather than cold cuts and other processed versions and limit aged cheese. Limit your intake of citrus fruits and stay away from raw onions, fava beans and sauerkraut. Limit your intake of chocolate, also rich in caffeine. Read food labels carefully and stay away from items that contain MSG and aspartame -- both have been linked to migraines.
If taking MAOI medications for your migraines, you must exercise extra caution to limit these types of foods, notes the NHF. Your doctor can offer comprehensive dietary information for these medicines.
How to Eat
How you eat can also play an important role alongside what you eat. The UMMC notes that skipping meals and not eating on a regular schedule might trigger migraines. The NHF cautions against eating sugar-rich foods on an empty stomach or as a substitute for a standard meal. Eat smaller meals throughout the day. Reduce tyramine buildup by freezing leftovers rather than storing them in the refrigerator if you do not plan to eat them within a day or two.
