Ooh, My Aching Head

Do you suffer from migraine headaches? Do you suspect that your diet may have triggered them? Certain foods may be to blame, but the cause of migraines is not well understood.

A migraine headache is severe, throbbing head pain, with additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light, sound and smells. An attack can last from four to 72 hours, during which time the sufferer may be forced to bed with the shades pulled down. If you have head pain, a proper diagnosis by a physician is recommended to determine the right course of treatment.

Susceptibility to migraines runs in families, and is three times more common in women. Scientists suspect that an abnormal drop in serotonin, a brain chemical, causes the blood vessels to swell and causes the nerves to stimulate pain sensations. Factors such as stress, diet, menstruation, weather changes, medications, physical activity, skipped meals, extremes in food temperature, bright lights, and smoke have been known to trigger a migraine. Estrogen levels are a strong determinant of migraines; a drop in estrogen around menstruation can cause severe headaches in many women. Not every one has the same triggers, and sufferers react in different ways at different times. The migraine puzzle still needs to be solved.

Ten to 30 percent of migraine sufferers can pinpoint diet triggers. Here is a list of suspected foods.



aged cheese -- such as cheddar and blue cheese. The amines and tyrosine are suspect.


chocolate


alcohol -- red wine, champagne, Scotch, beer. Alcohol causes the blood vessels to expand. Certain substances in wine, such as tyramine, phenols, sulfites and congeners, may be the culprits.


smoked or pickled meats and fish, cold cuts, hot dogs, sausage, liver -- Some migraine sufferers claim that food additives provoke the headaches. Sulfites in preserved food and MSG (monosodium glutamate) in Chinese food, restaurant food and processed foods may be suspect. Some people claim that the sweetener aspartame gives them headaches, not necessarily migraines.


citrus fruits, overripe bananas, sauerkraut -- high amine content


bouillon cubes, soy sauce, canned soups, soup mixes, marinades, meat tenderizers


nuts and peanut butter


sourdough and yeast breads


beans ( like broad beans, lima, soy and fava), lentils and peas


coffee, tea and cola
The relationship of caffeine and headaches is somewhat confusing. A small amount of caffeine can relieve a headache, but too much may bring one on. Coffee initially constricts the blood vessels, reducing the pain, but too much causes the blood vessels to dilate, causing more pain. Brewed coffee has much more caffeine than tea or cola.

Some medications contain caffeine. A new pain reliever medication offers extra caffeine for migraine sufferers! Most people can tolerate one to two caffeine drinks a day. However, if you decide to cut caffeine out of your diet, do this gradually over a week. "Cold turkey" withdrawal from caffeine can give you another headache!

Researchers have suspected that lower magnesium levels in relationship to higher calcium levels may cause migraines. Another study found that riboflavin, vitamin B2, reduced frequency and duration of migraines. A diet lower in fat, 20 grams of fat a day, reduced frequency by 71 percent and intensity by 66 percent in a study by Dr. Bic at the University of California at Urvine.

Diet is only one of the many suspected triggers for a migraine, so do not unnecessarily restrict your diet if these are not your triggers. Keep a food diary for a month, tracking your headaches. You may be able to determine a relationship between food and headaches. A dietitian can help you plan careful menus. See your doctor for medication treatment. There are a variety of new drugs to arrest the onset, reduce the severity and relieve the pain of that throbbing migraine headache. No one has the migraine puzzle completely finished; it will take the combined efforts of sufferers, researchers and doctors to put it all together.