These Foods to Eat (and Avoid!) If You Have a Migraine, According to Experts

If you suffer from migraines (like 15% of the population) you know that attacks can be triggered by various factors, such as high stress levels, sleep disorders, climate changes… But also your diet, in particular what you eat and drink, and when.

Food “triggers” more common than you might think

“Food triggers are among the most commonly reported by migraine sufferers”explains Dr. Vincent Martin, director of the headache center at the Gardner Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati and president of the National Headache Foundation (NHF), in the media Everyday Health. Which sometimes makes things complicated, as this triggering can be random: “You can drink a glass of red wine once and get a headache, [mais] another time you don’t have any more”he points out. Why? Because according to doctors, a migraine attack is not just a headache, but a change in “brain state,” meaning that senses such as touch, sight and smell are also affected.

The causes of migraine are still debated by professionals. But in the media, they agree on the changes that seem to work. Here is what is best to eat and what foods to avoid.

Good eating habits to avoid the crisis

Cooking fresh produce

“A healthy diet for migraine is a fresh diet,” “, emphasizes Dr. Martin. This means eating lots of vegetables and fruits and reducing added sugars and processed foods. In this regard, the Mediterranean diet, with its anti-inflammatory properties, is particularly recommended. As is cooking your own products as much as possible.

Include Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Your Diet

Some data suggests that eating anti-inflammatory foods can reduce migraine symptoms, says the expert who co-authored a study on diet and migraine. For example, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation, while foods high in omega-6 fatty acids tend to increase it. Foods high in omega-3s include salmon and other fatty fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, and safflower oil.

Staying adequately hydrated

Hydration is key to managing migraines, as dehydration itself is a common migraine trigger. There is no universal amount of fluids to consume, but drinking when you feel thirsty is a good start. It is also helpful to keep a water bottle on hand so you can stay hydrated throughout the day.

Track Your Personal Food Triggers

Migraine food triggers are unfortunately different from person to person. But even so, determining which foods are bad for you can be difficult. Keeping a food diary can be helpful. Try writing down what you eat each day and whether you get a migraine shortly afterward.If more than 50% of the time when you consume a food or drink you get a headache the same day or the next day, it’s probably a trigger.”says Dr. Martin. If you suspect something is a trigger, then you can try eliminating it from your diet to see if that reduces the number of migraine attacks you experience.

Maintain a healthy weight

A healthy weight is not only good for your overall health: it can also reduce the frequency of your migraine attacks.Obesity is considered a risk factor for migraine progression“. While obesity does not cause migraine, it is a risk factor for other conditions that can impact migraine, such as sleep apnea. In fact, getting back to a healthy weight may be part of migraine treatment.”People with chronic headaches are often told to lose weight.“, confirms the expert.

Bad habits to banish

Forgetting that certain fresh products can be triggers

While eating a nutritious diet is important, you should also be aware that even some healthy foods can trigger migraine attacks. These include:

• Citrus fruits;
• Peanuts and nuts;
• Beans ;
• Fermented milk products.

So it’s good to pay attention to what you eat and be aware of whether you get a migraine attack after eating certain foods, even if you stick to mostly fresh foods.

Eating foods containing “monosodium glutamate”

MSG is a flavor enhancer commonly found in soy sauce, some packaged foods, and broth. It can be hard to spot because MSG can be listed under other names, including “natural flavor,” “all-natural preservatives,” and “hydrolyzed proteins.” But doctors say that eating MSG is one of the most likely triggers for migraine attacks, especially when it’s in liquid form. That means eating soup that contains this flavor enhancer is more likely to cause a headache than, say, eating chicken that contains the same ingredient.

Overusing caffeine

Caffeine, found in tea, coffee, and some soft drinks, has a complex relationship with migraine. Because of its pain-relieving properties, caffeine can actually help people in the midst of a migraine attack. But people who consume too much caffeine can develop a tolerance that increases their risk of caffeine withdrawal symptoms when they stop consuming it. And that caffeine withdrawal can trigger severe migraines.Caffeine withdrawal headaches can begin 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine and can last up to nine days.”insists the doctor.

To be on the safe side, try to limit your caffeine intake to, say, two cups a day.

Skipping meals

Even if you don’t have a trigger food, skipping a meal can give you a migraine.”We know that long periods of fasting can cause headaches”explains Martin.Instead of eating three large meals a day, it is recommended to eat regular, light meals.” This helps prevent hunger headaches, maintain stable blood sugar levels, and avoid eating large amounts of foods that can trigger a migraine attack.

Slide: The different causes of migraine