subject: Using Diet to Alleviate Migraine Pain [print this page] Using Diet to Alleviate Migraine Pain
The World Health Organization estimated in 2003 that 303 million people worldwide experienced regular migraine headaches. A 2004 article suggested that there are almost 20 million migraine attacks happening every day. Unfortunately, as many of us know, over-the-counter medication often does little to alleviate the pain of a migraine headache. All headaches are not the same and gobbling down pain pills will not address the causes, whatever they may be.
Migraines are thought by many to be neurological in nature: The brain fails to constrict the nerve pathways that open the arteries to the brain, resulting in a pounding headache as blood flows in unchecked. A migraine is often characterized by a sharp pounding pain located within one side of the head, but can also have the symptomatic pounding pain within both sides of the head. Although some migraines come on without warning, many migraine sufferers have warning symptoms before the onset of pain. Typical warning signs last a few minutes and can include: blurring or bright spots in the vision, anxiety, fatigue, disturbed thinking, and numbness or tingling on one side of the body.
Allergies, mainly food allergies, are considered largely responsible for most migraines. Common foods that can trigger migraines are artificial sweeteners (aspartame), birth control pills, caffeine (including chocolate), citrus fruits, salt, lactose, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and food additives. Migraine sufferers should avoid or limit these foods to minimize the chances of a migraine occurring. Similarly there are foods that can help prevent and alleviate the symptoms while in the midst of a migraine.
The list of foods that have been reported to trigger headaches is long and varied. The foods included here are the ones most commonly reported to cause headaches; that's why it's difficult to avoid them without following the headache-prevention diet. Some of you may be susceptible to many of these foods, others to only a few. If you are lucky, you'll find you're not susceptible to any of these foods. The only way to tell is by documenting which of these foods you eat before suffering a migraine. If you discover an ingredient that triggers your headaches and is not on this list, you should obviously avoid it too.
Prohibited Foods
Beans (lima, Italian, pole, broad, fava, string, navy, pinto, garbanzo, lentils, snow peas), pickles, chili peppers, olives, dried fruits that contain preservatives (such as raisins, dates, figs, apricots), avocados, papayas, passion fruit, red plums, banana-peel extract, any fresh yeast product straight out of the oven; for example, yeast breads, crackers, pizza dough, doughnuts, soft pretzels, most cheeses, sour cream, whole milk, chocolate milk, buttermilk, cream, alcoholic beverages, especially red wine; beverages containing chocolate or cocoa; diet beverages containing artificial sweeteners.
One of the coolest things your diet can do is help reduce the symptoms and pain of a migraine headache. Increasing the intake of foods that are rich in magnesium and calcium (two miracle minerals that are two nerve and muscle function regulators) can help prevent and relieve headaches. Snacking on such foods (for example, carrots and strawberries) can help relieve the pounding pain of a headache when pain medication often will not.
If you are one of the 303 million people worldwide who suffer from regular migraine headaches, it is worth taking a look at your diet to help prevent and relieve the migraine pain. Try eating fruit or vegetables high in calcium and magnesium while experiencing migraine pain and see if you can alleviate the pain without medication. Try to figure out what your trigger foods are and learn to avoid those foods in the future. With a little bit of work we can learn to reduce the frequency of occurrence, and it is worth it!
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