Pay attention to your migraine attack pattern. If there's no change, it's unlikely to be a food- or drink-related trigger.
Sources: (Healthline) (Health.com) (Sutter Health)
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If you suspect a food, drink, or additive to be a trigger, avoid it for four weeks. Food elimination is a diet that omits food believed to cause adverse reaction. By avoiding them for four weeks, you’ll get enough time for your body to respond.
Phenylalanines are amino acids that can affect vascular tone, which may have a role in migraines.
There are a number of things you can do to spot and eliminate any food- or drink-related triggers.
When you get a migraine attack, pay attention to what you consumed in the 24 hours leading up to it, as well as any other triggers.
The Association of Migraine Disorders identifies nuts, including peanut butter and all seeds, as a common migraine trigger, as they are a phenylalanine-containing food.
Foods that contain high amounts of citric acid, like oranges and other citrus fruits, have been associated with headache pain.
While this food group is still up for debate, a 2016 study noted that citrus fruits were significant potential triggers for migraine with aura but not migraine without aura. Migraine auras are visual symptoms, such as flickering lights, zigzag lines, or blind spots.
Like aged cheeses, pickled and fermented foods can contain high amounts of tyramine.
You're more likely to experience headaches that become migraine attacks if you're consuming cold food quickly, after exercising, or when overheated.
These foods include pickles, kimchi, kombucha, pickled okra, and pickles jalapeños.
Consuming frozen foods and drinks like ice cream or slushies can trigger intense, stabbing pains in the head.
The longer the cheese has aged, the higher the tyramine content will be. And tyramine is a chemical that has commonly been cited as a migraine trigger.
These foods can release nitric oxide into the blood, which is thought to dilate blood vessels in the brain, and cause or contribute to migraines.
Aged cheeses, such as Gorgonzola, Camembert, and cheddar, contain a substance called tyramine. It forms when a food's aging causes the breakdown of proteins.
While it's considered safe to eat, some researchers link it to migraine attacks. The American Migraine Foundation notes that MSG may trigger severe migraine episodes in 10-15% of those with migraines.
Cured or processed meats, such as ham, hot dogs, and sausages, might set off a migraine. All of them contain preservatives called nitrates, which preserve color and flavor.
Chocolate contains both caffeine and beta-phenylethylamine, which may trigger headaches in some people.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of the common amino acid glutamic acid, which is naturally present in our bodies and in many foods and food additives.
Most processed foods contain artificial sweeteners, which are sugar alternatives that are added to sweeten foods and drinks.
According to a 2018 study in the European Journal of Neurology, alcoholic beverages were reported as a trigger by 35.6% of participants with migraines.
Too much caffeine has been linked with migraines for many years; on the one hand, as a trigger, and, on the other, as a cure.
But these sweeteners can trigger migraine episodes, in particular the artificial sweetener called aspartame.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, chocolate is believed to be the second most common trigger for migraine attacks after alcohol.
Red wine in particular was reported as a trigger in over 77% of the participants who indicated alcohol as a trigger.
A 2021 study in the journal Nutrients found that caffeine overuse may lead to migraines, and sudden caffeine withdrawal can trigger migraine attacks.
Salty processed foods, which may contain harmful preservatives, could trigger migraines in some people.
Consuming high levels of sodium can increase blood pressure, causing headaches or migraine attacks.
Many things can trigger a migraine attack, including what we eat and drink. While there's no such thing as a universal migraine trigger, some people find that eating or drinking certain things can trigger migraine attacks. It also appears that certain additives, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and flavor enhancers trigger headaches in some migraine sufferers. The problem is that food triggers are highly individualized, making research difficult. But there are some common triggers that can cause or contribute to migraine episodes in some people.
Curious? Browse the following gallery to discover common migraine food triggers.
Foods that can trigger migraines
Some foods can bring on one heck of a headache!
HEALTH Headache
Many things can trigger a migraine attack, including what we eat and drink. While there's no such thing as a universal migraine trigger, some people find that eating or drinking certain things can trigger migraine attacks. It also appears that certain additives, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and flavor enhancers trigger headaches in some migraine sufferers. The problem is that food triggers are highly individualized, making research difficult. But there are some common triggers that can cause or contribute to migraine episodes in some people.
Curious? Browse the following gallery to discover common migraine food triggers.