Migraine and Diet

Migraine can be characterized by severe headache which begins from forehead, side of head and around the eyes and this pain gradually gets worse. Bright light, sound can worsen the condition.

Reasons of Migraine

1. Improper diet and lifestyle can be one of the reasons of Migraine.
2. When we consume wrong food combination food is not digested properly in gut and fermented in side of intestine which creates toxicity in body and neurologically sensitive people got the attack of Migraine pain.
3. When serotonin levels drop, the blood vessels in the brain swell; it is the swelling that causes the pain of a migraine. (Serotonin is a neurotransmitter present in the pineal gland, the digestive tract, the central nervous system, and blood platelets. this is synthesized in human body by tryptophan proteins)

What is the Relationship Between Migraine and Diet?

Although dietary restriction isn’t considered a treatment for migraine, identifying any foods that have triggered symptoms and avoiding those foods may help some people prevent migraine attacks.

According to a report by J Gordon Millichap, MD, published in the journal Pediatric Neurology, the list of foods, beverages, and additives thought to trigger or exacerbate migraine symptoms in some people includes:

• Cheese
• Chocolate
• Citrus fruits
• Hot dogs
• Monosodium glutamate
• Aspartame
• Fatty foods
• Ice cream
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Alcoholic drinks, especially red wine and beer

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is sometimes added as a flavor enhancer in Chinese restaurants. It is also found in commercial soups, soy sauce, salad dressings, frozen dinners, soup mix, croutons, stuffing, and some chips. It can be disguised on food labels as sodium caseinate, hydrolyzed proteins, or autolyzed yeast.

Published surveys have found that the most commonly reported food triggers are cheese, chocolate, alcohol, bananas, and citrus fruit.

In a survey of 429 people with migraine, 16.5% reported migraines triggered by cheese or chocolate, 28.4% reported sensitivity to all alcoholic drinks, 11.8% were sensitive to red but not white wine, and 28% were sensitive to beer.

Another survey of 490 people with migraine published in the journal Cephalgia found that the most common food triggers were chocolate, cheese (18%), citrus (11%) and alcohol (29%).

Guidelines for diet

Person who is suffering form Migraine should try to increase serotonin levels by eating correct food.

1. Easily digestible proteins with combination of right amount of carbohydrates because tryptophan protein is works best when it consume with carbohydrates. (Such as legumes with brown rice or fruits with nuts).
2. Person must consume desirable amount of good fat for hormonal release.( try flex seeds, nuts, olive oil or fish oil supplement )
3. Fiber and curds should consume on daily basis. This increases good bacteria in intestine and omit toxicity from body.
4. Exercise is key point to release feel good hormones so 15 -20 min exercise also sufficient to trigger serotonin levels.
5. Skipping meals trigger the problem.
6. Avoid stimulants such as tea coffee sugary beverages chocolates