Migraine Diet Modification
If you also think a migraine is nothing more than a severe headache, this blog can enlighten you well about the causes, symptoms, and types. This blog will help you with the ultimate migraine diet modification.
Bad headaches are only one aspect of a migraine. This neurological condition may leave you bedridden for days due to excruciating throbbing pain. Movement, light, sound, and other triggers may result in symptoms including temporary loss of vision, irritability, difficulty speaking, pain, nausea, and visual disturbances.
Migraines often begin in youth and most commonly affect people between the ages of 35 and 45. According to the WHO, it is more common in women, usually by a factor of about 2:1, likely due to hormonal influences.
Stages of migraine
Prodrome:
Two or three days before a migraine occurs, you may notice subtle changes such as constipation, severe mood swings, food cravings, stiff neck, frequent urination, increased thirst, and frequent yawning.
Aura:
This usually occurs during or before a migraine. They typically have signs such as zigzag vision, light vision, and flashes of light. Sometimes speech disturbances can also be a feature. These symptoms can last from 20 to 60 minutes.
Attack:
The migraine in this stage usually lasts for 4 to 72 hours if it is not treated. The frequency of occurrence of headaches may vary from person to person. In this condition, you may experience headaches, pain on both or just one side of your head, sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting, and fainting.
Postdrome:
This is known as the final phase of a migraine. Many people feel weak and tired. People may also experience confusion, mood swings, dizziness, weakness, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Signs and symptoms of migraine
There are some signs and symptoms according to migraine:
- With throbbing headache or sharp, moderate pain that gets worse and worse with movement or physical activity.
- Localized or unilateral pain in the ocular and frontotemporal region, pain may be felt around the head or neck.
- Headache lasting 4-72 hours
- Lightheadedness, sensitivity to sound and light, building up to progressive pain.
- Sensitivity to sound, light, and smell
- Vomiting feeling sick
- Blurred vision
Causes of Migraine
- Hormonal changes such as fluctuations in estrogen cause headaches in many women. Many women have a tendency to develop acute migraines during menopause or pregnancy.
- Foods like processed, salty, and old cheese can also cause migraines.
- Alcohol consumption is a significant cause of excessive migraines in people.
- Stress at home or work can also trigger a migraine.
Include these 11 Foods in your Migraine Diet Modification
Food really is the first medication. What you eat and when you eat can make all the difference when attempting to manage migraine. So, a migraine diet modification recommended by a clinical dietician can play a vital role in getting you away from migraine.
Yes, certain foods and beverages may help ward off migraine headaches. A low glycemic migraine diet modification and minimizing sodium & fat are other helpful dietary changes. Trying a low-tyramine diet is another recommendation from the National Headache Foundation. Their website has a comprehensive list of foods to eat and stay away from.
1. Eat vegetables
Green leafy vegetables contain a sufficient amount of magnesium. Including magnesium in your migraine diet modification works very effectively in migraine pain. Cereals, seafood, and wheat also have a lot of magnesium, so if you want, you must eat seafood twice a week.
2 .Eat fish
Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E are found in fish. Both these things help in controlling migraine pain.
3 . Milk and milk products
Drinking fat-free milk will be very beneficial for migraine. Besides calcium, milk also contains vitamin B, which gives energy to the cells. The brain’s nerves often become dull, and the pain of a migraine starts.
4 . Drink coffee
Just as drinking coffee and tea is beneficial for regular headaches, in the same way, they are accommodating in migraine too.
Note: However, including this in your migraine diet modification list must consult your dietician or nutritionist. As coffee can also become a reason for migraine for some people.
5 .Drink red wine
Wine and beer contain tyramine, which helps relieve migraine pain. You can include bear and red wine in your diet chart for migraine diet modification.
6 . Eat broccoli
Magnesium is found in plenty in broccoli, which gives relief to migraine pain. Broccoli is an optimum source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin, one must include it in their migraine diet modification.
7 . Eat foods with omega-3 fatty acids
To keep many problems away from the body, it is advised to include foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. To overcome the deficiency of Omega-3, doctors recommend taking some supplements and pills.
A) Non-Vegetarian Source of fatty acids
– Consuming fish is beneficial to avoid migraine. Fatty fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. It provides relief from swelling and pain in the head to a great extent.
B) Vegetarian Source of fatty acids –
You can relieve migraine pain by containing omega-3 fatty acids, including olive oil, flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, etc.
8 .Drink plenty of water
You should immediately drink a glass of cold water during a migraine pain. This gives instant relief from pain.
9 . Eat only fresh food
Doctors say that often eating stale food can also promote migraine. That’s why you must always include a freshly prepared food migraine diet modification chart.
10. Nuts can be your good friends
If you suffer from migraine pain, then eat nuts. Magnesium-rich foods, such as beans, nuts, whole grains, and bread made from them, release pain-reducing hormones, which greatly relieve migraine pain.
11. Effect of curd
A deficiency of calcium can also cause migraine problems. Migraine pain can be suppressed by eating a bowl of curd daily.
Fruits for Migraine to include in your diet
- Banana
- Watermelon
- Berries
- Avocado
- Cantaloupe
- Apple
Dietary supplement for Migraine
Following is the list of must-include supplements in your Migraine Diet Modification that can help you avoid migraine triggers:
- Vitamin B2
- Magnesium
- Vitamin D
- Coenzyme Q10
- Melatonin
- Vitamin B2
27 Foods that Trigger Migraine
A migraine attack can last from several hours to several days, and its pain becomes so severe that even doing everyday tasks becomes difficult. According to the World Health Organisation, this pain is seen more in women than men. Although bright light, change in weather, change in routine, dehydration, and change in hormones are the most significant reasons, some food items can trigger migraine pain. Must exclude the following food from your migraine diet modification list.
1. Caffeine Drinks
According to the American Migraine Foundation, caffeine can prove beneficial in having an effect on migraine attacks. But, excessive amounts of caffeine, such as tea and coffee, can increase the migraine problem instead of reducing it.
2. Chocolate
If you are suffering from migraines, control the habit of overeating chocolate. Caffeine and beta-phenylethylamine are present in high amounts in chocolate, which can increase the problem of headaches.
3. Processed Food
To avoid migraine attacks, make a habit of saying no to processed food and follow your migraine diet modification list. Artificial sweeteners and salt are used in processed food.
4. Pickles and Fermented foods
Pickles, fermented foods, and spicy foods contain a lot of tyramine, which causes headaches.
5. Stay away from artificial sweeteners
Health experts say that eating processed food containing artificial sweeteners can increase the migraine problem.
6. Avoid foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG) or Ajinamoto.
Ajinomoto, i.e., monosodium glutamate, is used in many packaged salt foods available in the market. Apart from this, MSG is also used in Chow Mein, Manchurian, Momos, and other Chinese foods.
7. Aged Cheeses
Unfortunately, this delicacy can also cause migraine symptoms, which is bad news for cheese lovers. Tyramine is once more to blame. The majority of popular cheeses, including blue cheese, brie, cheddar, swiss, feta, and mozzarella, should be avoided.
8. Citrus Fruits
While eating a lot of fresh fruit is a great way to prevent attacks, citrus fruits may not be the best choice.
9. Yeast
Foods containing yeast Migraine attacks have been linked to foods containing yeast, such as sourdough bread and freshly baked goods like donuts, cakes, and bread.
10. Food Additives
Avoid preservatives, food colors and flavor enhancers can worsen your migraine pain so try to not east food that contains food additives.
11. Cured and Processed meats
In order to keep their color and flavor, cured and processed meats (including bacon, sausage, ham, and deli meats) frequently include nitrites and nitrates, which are known migraine triggers.
Migraine attacks can be reduced by controlling these food items and excluding them from your migraine diet modification list.
12. Reduce the mayonnaise intake
Mayonnaise can also lead towards migraine triggers so avoiding during migraine diet modification can be very beneficial.
13. Olives
Don’t consume olives as it can be hazardous for your migraine diet modification.
14. Soy-based foods (miso, tempeh, soy sauce)
Because of the high quantities of tyramine in fermented soy products such miso, soy sauce, and teriyaki sauce, these meals might cause migraines.
15. Tomatoes
Tyramine, an amino acid found in abundance in tomatoes, causes the brain to generate norepinephrine that can trigger migraine.
16. Vinegar
Tyramines, which are only present in red vinegars, are thought to cause migraines.
17. Canned goods
Eaten frozen foods and beverages, such as ice cream or slushies, can cause intense, stabbing headaches.
18. Salty dishes
Some people may have migraines as a result of eating salty meals, particularly manufactured salty foods that may include hazardous preservatives.
19. Potato chip Products
Must exclude potato chip products from your migraine diet modification.
20. Be aware of Beans
The majority of beans, including dry beans and peas, lima, Italian, pole, wide, fava, navy, pinto, snow peas, garbanzo, and lentils can be harmful.
21. Alcohol
White wine and beer appear to be the most typical triggers, according to studies.
22. Diet Sodas
Due to the possibility of both caffeine and aspartame inclusion, diet drinks can be doubly harmful.
23. Chinese Foods
The main culprit when it comes to food additive migraine triggers is Chinese Foods.
24. Legumes
Lentils, beans, and peas may also cause migraines so don’t exclude from your migraine diet modification.
25. Gluten Intolerance
People who are sensitive to gluten are more likely to experience migraines. People with celiac disease have migraines more frequently.
26. Onions
Including onions in your migraine diet modification can be very harmful.
27. Chili Peppers
It can be very harmful to include chili peppers in your migraine diet modification.
FAQs
- How long can a migraine last?
- Migraine usually lasts for about 4 hours, however, in severe cases it can last up to 3 days. Migraine phases are different for everyone, some may last for a few days while others get migraines once or twice a year.
- Is Coffee Good for Migraines?
- Caffeine is a common migraine remedy that helps reduce inflammation and headache. However, coffee can also cause migraines because it constricts the blood vessels that surround the brain. When caffeine intake is stopped, the blood vessels dilate and cause migraines. It is recommended to consult with your dietician before including it in your migraine diet modification list.
- Can Migraines Make You Debilitated?
- Studies have shown that people who have frequent migraines every month may suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. A general link exists between migraines and mental problems; frequent migraines may also be a symptom of the onset of mental illness. However, a good migraine diet modification can be extremely helpful to get rid of the illness.