Diet and Headaches

We treat a lot of migraine patients in our Depew, NY clinic, and if you have problems with regular migraines (18 percent of women and 6% of men do, according to health experts) then you already know how disabling they can get. Along with the pain that is notoriously unbearable, some migraine sufferers say they experience double vision, sensitivity to light, nausea, and vomiting, among other symptoms. Not only does this affect home life, but it can also impede your capability to work. Fortunately, research published in the Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research has revealed that dietary changes may just offer a certain amount of relief.

The referenced study involved 170 women who had migraine headaches and had been directed to neurology clinics as a result. The objective was to find out if their eating habits had any impact on their headache frequency. Data was accumulated via a questionnaire in which each participant was asked about their headaches and their eating routine, and their responses were analyzed to determine whether there was any correlation between specific foods and headache frequency.

They found that there were, in fact, specific food products which seemed to amplify headaches in migraine sufferers. From greatest to least effect they were: red meat, white meat, cereal, vegetables, fruit, salad dressing, and eggs. In addition, roughly 3/4 of the study respondents told the research workers that ingesting chocolate would trigger a migraine.

Since the typical Iranian diet does not include the large volume of canned foods, processed meat, or fast foods often found in Western cultures, these sorts of items do need more testing to determine if there is a connection between their consumption and migraine headaches. Meanwhile, if you deal with migraines yourself, you may want to reduce or eliminate some of the foods mentioned that could potentially be contributing to your suffering.

If you're prepared to get non-invasive relief for your migraines, give our Depew, NY chiropractor Dr. Palmer a call today at (716) 668-2225 for an appointment or more information.

Nazari F, Eghbali M. Migraine and its relationship with dietary habits in women. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research 2012;17(2 Suppl1):S65-S71.