Migraines are severe, often recurrent, long-lasting headaches that affect over 29.5 million Americans, according to the National Headache Foundation. They affect three times as many women as men and tend to run in families. Although the specific cause remains unknown, your dietary habits may influence the frequency or intensity of your symptoms. Depending on the source, incorporating protein into your breakfast meal may help or worsen your symptoms.
Benefits
Eating meals containing fiber and protein at regular time intervals can help regulate your blood sugar levels, lowering your risk for migraine flareups, according to physicians and migraine specialists with the National Pain Foundation Dr. Christina Sun-Edelstein and Dr. Alexander Mauskop. Consuming a balanced breakfast meal promotes positive blood sugar levels throughout the day. Choosing lean protein sources, such as fresh fish and soybeans, provide the added benefit of magnesium -- a mineral people prone to migraines may lack and one that may help minimize your symptoms.
Risks
Protein alone is not considered harmful for migraine sufferers, nor is a protein-rich breakfast. If your protein choice is a common migraine trigger, however, you run the risk of triggered or worsened symptoms. Protein-rich foods associated with migraines include cow's milk, aged cheeses, processed and fermented meats, such as summer sausage and smoked fish, and peanut butter.
Suggestions
Elaine Magee, a registered dietitian and author of "Tell Me What to Eat if I Have Headaches and Migraines," suggests not skipping breakfast, which can disrupt your moods, blood sugar levels and appetite and potentially lead to migraine pain. Aim for balanced meals and snacks at appropriate time intervals, emphasizing a variety of nutritious foods and limiting suspected migraine triggers. Track your food intake and migraine symptoms in a journal to help determine which foods are problematic for you.
Sample Meals
Examples of protein and fiber-rich breakfast meals, devoid of common migraine triggers, include whole grain toast served with scrambled egg whites and vegetables, oatmeal prepared with soy milk, pure maple syrup and berries, and a quinoa, vegetable and tofu scramble. If you tolerate dairy products, cereal with milk, which is high in protein, is a better option than a large, sugary muffin, according to Sun-Edelstein and Mauskop. For a quick, on-the-go meal, prepare a fruit smoothie with dairy or nondairy milk.
References
- National Headache Foundation: Migraine
- National Pain Foundation: Eating Patterns and Migraine
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Migraine Headache
- "Tell Me What to Eat If I Have Headaches and Migraines"; Elaine Magee; 2008
