A nutritional approach to treating migraine
If you, or someone you love, is a migraine sufferer, you'll know
the devastating effect this agonising affliction can have on the
whole family - not just the sufferer. Perhaps you've tried most
of the conventional ways to banish migraine from your life.
Unfortunately only a third of sufferers are fully satisfied with
conventional management. The side-effects of certain drugs can
be as worrying as the problems they aim to treat. Many people
are looking for drug-free solutions, and nutritional therapy has
much to offer.
To treat migraine, identify the problem and eliminate it - but
that is often easier said than done. Being a one-time sufferer
myself, I made migraine the focus of my 3-year nutrition
consultancy training course. Obviously there are too many
possible causes to describe in detail in a short article such as
this, but here's a brief over-view of the factors a nutritional
approach to migraine will consider.
There is little doubt that food intolerance is a major cause of
migraine and many studies have demonstrated that detecting and
removing the offending food(s) can improve or even eliminate
symptoms in many sufferers. A study in the Lancet found that 93%
of sufferers found an improvement on eliminating allergenic
foods from their diet. But often it's not the 'usual suspects'
that cause the problems. There are several ways to do the
necessary detective work. For a free article on food intolerance
testing, visit the website below.
But food intolerance isn't at the bottom of all migraines. Other
dietary adjustments can make a world of difference to reducing
migraines - AND improving your general health and well-being.
Improving your diet means far more than just eating '5-a-day',
important though that is! For instance, it's vital to maintain a
steady blood sugar level, eat regular, light meals that include
protein but are low in simple carbohydrates (such as sugary and
refined foods). Eat extra amounts of almonds, fennel,
watercress, and fresh pineapple. Reduce salt intake and avoid
acid forming foods (meat, dairy, cereals, grain and bread).
Avoid fried and fatty foods. Acid / alkaline imbalance in your
diet can cause problems - put simply, acid-forming foods are
protein based, while alkaline-forming foods are plant based.
Nutrient deficiencies can be problematical - there's a whole
host of research into the role of different B vitamins and
minerals such as magnesium in migraine prevention. For instance,
calcium and magnesium in the correct balance help regulate
muscle tone and nerve transmissions. As the brain is largely
composed of fatty material, you'll need to be sure that your
diet contains plenty of essential fats - while minimising intake
of 'bad' fats.
A less well-known nutrient has also been found effective in
helping migraine sufferers. CoQ10 is a naturally occurring
substance similar in structure to vitamin K. It is not a vitamin
because, subject to the availability of all necessary nutrients,
it can be made in the body; but as so often occurs, production
declines with age! Its main functions in are in energy
production and as an antioxidant. In migraine it's thought to
help by improving blood circulation to the brain. Research by Dr
Rozen at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation published in the
International Headache Society's journal (March 2002) found that
after three months taking CoQ10, 61% of patients had a greater
than 50% reduction in the number of days with migraine - a
significant reduction. The fact that patients in the study had
no problems using it, together with other beneficial effects of
the nutrient, makes CoQ10 a very appealing agent for migraine
prevention. Natural sources of CoQ10 include beef, chicken, ham,
pork, salmon, sardines, mackerel, egg, spinach, sesame seeds and
walnuts; but no food can provide anything close to the dose used
in the trial so supplementation would be necessary.
When considering circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain
ginkgo or vitamin B3 are also useful nutrients to look at. If
taking supplements try to use hypo-allergenic and chelated
forms. Exercise and deep breathing will also improve blood
circulation.
But even if your diet is top-notch, unless you're correctly
digesting and absorbing your food, you won't benefit from the
nutrients it contains. 'Leaky gut' is a subject that links to
food intolerances, mentioned earlier. You may not expect to need
hydrochloric acid in your body, but it's essential for protein
digestion! Check and supplement where appropriate.
Many sufferers notice that stress or strong emotions trigger
their migraines. What is less well-known is that there are
dietary changes you can make that can lessen the impact, even
when you can't do anything about your hectic life-style. For
instance, vitamin B5 is important in a nutritional approach to
stress management and vitamin C aids anti-stress hormone
production
Other non-food triggers include lack of exercise, excess or lack
of sleep, liver malfunction, weather changes, caffeine
withdrawal, certain drugs, dental problems, flashing or glaring
lights or exposure to cigarette smoke. Physiotherapy may also be
helpful in certain cases.
Could toxic metals be slowly poisoning you? A Hair Mineral
Analysis is a simple and cost-effective way to assess your
levels of lead, aluminium, mercury and cadmium - as well as
checking that you have adequate levels of such essential
nutrients as magnesium, chromium, zinc - and just as
importantly, that the balance between minerals is correct. Read
more about Hair Mineral Analysis on the website below.
Less dramatically, could simple constipation be causing a
problem? If your bowel functions are poor, waste material cannot
be eliminated and circulates for too long within your system.
It's vital to maintain a good balance between the 'good' and
'bad' bacteria in your intestine.
Hormonal health is important too, especially for women. The Pill
may cause B6 deficiency resulting in migraines; some migraines
result from oestrogen fluctuations - these often decrease after
the menopause. Foods containing phyto-oestrogens (citrus fruits,
apples, cherries, plums, oats, rice, wheat, carrots, potatoes,
parsley and fennel) can have a hormone-balancing effect.
Consideration of hormonal health leads onto looking at liver
health. Good liver function is necessary to remove spent
hormones.
Homocysteine also has a profound effect on blood vessels and in
research, compared to controls, migraine sufferers were twice as
likely to have a tendency to over-produce homocysteine. The
migraine link has yet to be proven, but as there's overwhelming
research showing that high homocysteine is linked to strokes and
heart-attacks, and as it can be simply and effectively lowered
by nutritional means, it makes sense to maintain low levels.
Many sufferers are not aware that misuse of over-the-counter
painkillers may increase headaches, especially those that
contain caffeine. If any prescribed medications contain
caffeine, discuss changing them with your GP. Do not stop or
change any prescribed medicine without contacting your GP.
This brief article has only been able to provide a taster of the
factors that could be contributing to migraines. More
information on migraine, hair mineral analysis and food
intolerance testing is available at the website below.