Migraine

Even though scientists are arguing about the cause of Migraine, they are unanimous in one thing: eating the right food makes a difference (1,2,3,4,5).  It does not matter, if migraine is caused by electrolytes or neurotransmitters deficiency, or it is the result of platelet disorder or neuronal disorder, still food can change all of these issues to the better or th the worse. It is up to you which direction to go.

Migraine dietary suggestions:

1.  Increase intake of spinach, kale, broccoli, fatty fish like salmon, herring, sardines, macherel, trout, procided that it is low in mercury, PCBs and dioxines.

2.  Avoid chocolate, cheese, beer, red wine, cow's milk, wheat, eggs, nuts, corn, aspartame, excessive salt and/or sugar intake, MSG, caffeine.

Of course food may be no the primary cause of Migraine.  Some othe causes might be: hormonal imbalance, neuotransmitter imbalance, hole in the heart called patent foramen ovale or another heart disorder calle mitral valve prolapse.  Migrains may be caused by excessive stress, lack of sleep, muscle spasm or drugs.  To figue out what is going on contact Functional Medicine Doctor to go to the root cause of the problem and eliminate it.

Good luck!

References:

1.  Mansfield, Vaughan, Waller. Food allergy and adult migraine: double blind and mediator confirmation of an allergic ethiology.  Annals of Allergy 1985, 55: 126 -- 129.

2.  Carter, Egger, Soothill.  A dietary management of severe childhood migraine.  Human Nutrition -- Applied Nutrition 1985 39: 294 -- 303.

3.  Hughes, Gott, Weinstein, Bingelli.  Migraine: a diagnostic test for ethiology of food sensiivity by a nutritionally supported fast and confirmed by long term report.  Annals of Allergy 1985 55: 28 -- 32.

4.  Egger, Carter, Wilson.  Is migraine food allergy?  A double blind controlled trial of oligoanigenic diet treatment.  Lancet 1983 2: 865 -- 869.

5.  Monro, Brostoff, Carini, Zilkha.  Food allergy in Migraine.  Study of dietary exclusion and RAST.  Lancet 1980 2: 1 -- 4.