The causes of headaches are various, differ from person to person and are difficult to pinpoint. In addition, several types of headaches exist. For example, tension headaches are usually characterized by a radiating pain around the neck, back and eyes, while migraines tend to affect one side of the head and are of a pulsating nature. The "Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine" lists food as a possible headache trigger. Fermented foods can cause headaches owing to their content of certain substances, namely biogenic amines.
Histamine
Histamine is a biogenic amine that is involved in the inflammatory response and can cause headaches. According to the May 2007 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," although in healthy persons dietary histamine can be rapidly detoxified by amine oxidase enzymes, in persons with low levels of these enzymes, histamine can reach toxic levels and cause headaches. Fermented foods rich in histamine include cheese, fermented sausage and fermented ham, vinegar, beer, champagne and wine. In addition, red wine is an inhibitor of the amine oxidase enzymes responsible for the catabolism of histamine.
Tyramine
Tyramine is an amine naturally found in some foods. Although it is harmless for most people, it can cause undesirable symptoms such as headaches in persons sensitive to it and in persons who have a compromised tyramine-degrading enzyme function. In the latter group, tyramine is not catabolized fast enough and can reach toxic levels. A class of antidepressant drugs -- monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOIs -- inhibit the functioning of these enzymes and can make you sensitive to tyramine. Fermented foods high in tyramine include aged cheeses, red wine, beer, sauerkraut and fermented meats.
Other Vasoactive Amines and Nitrites
Other vasoactive amines with the potential to cause headaches include serotonin, tryptamine, dopamine and norepinephrine, reports "The Headaches." Fermented foods containing these amines include cheese, wine and beer. Nitrites, found in fermented meats, are also indicated as a potential trigger of headaches, according to the November 2007 issue of the "Journal of the American Osteopathic Association."
Management
If you suspect that a particular food is causing your headaches, you should eliminate that food completely from your diet for at least two weeks to see if your symptoms improve. If you are unsure which food is the culprit, you should keep a food and symptom diary in which you write all the foods you eat together with the time of consumption and make a note every time you suffer from a headache. It would also be helpful to write down an indication the intensity of the headache; for example, use a scale of 1 to 10. Such a diary can help you identify which foods are to blame.
References
- "Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine, 5th Edition"; M. Longmore, et al.; 2001
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Histamine and Histamine Intolerance; L. Maintz, et al.; May 2007
- "The Headaches, 3rd Edition"; J. Olesen, et al.; 2006
- "Journal of the American Osteopathic Association"; Diagnosing and Managing Migraine Headache; L.L. Mueller, et al.; November 2007
