Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV August 15/00

Research has proven that migraine is a biological disorder of the brain. Individuals with migraine have an inborn proneness to have recurring painful attacks of head pain and the other symptoms of migraine. Headache proneness can be reduced to a certain extent, but the key to reducing the number of attacks lies in the identification and elimination (where possible) of migraine triggers.

The mechanism of migraine involves a complex relationship between nerve impulses, chemical transmitters (serotonin), and blood vessels. This mechanism can be kicked off by external triggers such as the chemical content of certain foods, bright lights, weather patterns and internal triggers such as female hormones, changes in sleep patterns, the body’s response to stress.

As mentioned, foods do not cause migraines, but they can trigger an underlying proneness to migraines. One of the most common triggers is low a blood sugar caused by skipping meals or allowing too much time between meals. Some general dietary recommendations to prevent low blood sugars include:

• Eat every 3-4 hours alternating meals and snacks.
• Include some protein at each meal
• Eat high fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables
• Reduce refined sugar intake
• Avoid crash diets

Common dietary triggers of migraines include foods containing tyramine, histamine, octopamine and phenylethylamine, The following is a list of the most common dietary migraine triggers sorted by food group. Not everybody is sensitive to the same food, therefore individual assessment is required to isolate and remove the suspect triggers from the diet for 2 weeks to see if migraines become less frequent.

Also used to treat migraine headaches is the herb feverfew and supplementation of magnesium or fish oils.

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!