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Prevention in Practice

THE BEST DIET FOR YOUR HEADACHE

 

THE BEST DIET FOR YOUR HEADACHE  

Careful nutrition can help prevent headaches. However, careful nutrition doesn’t just mean what you eat, but also when and how you eat it. Migraine patients benefit from a regular daily routine that is less likely to upset their energy levels and keeps energy consumption stable.

The German Nutrition Association (DGE, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e. V.) guidelines are a useful basis for planning your diet. Eating wholegrain carbohydrates (wholegrain bread, wholegrain pasta, oats, legumes, courgettes, etc.) is recommended for most people, not just migraineurs. Especially if you’re prone to morning migraines, it helps to eat a granola bar the night before to avoid slipping into an energy-deficient state. The DGE’s main rules for nutrition are: a varied diet – but not too much; less fat and fewer fatty foods; flavourful, but not too salty; fewer sweet things; more whole grains; plenty of vegetables, potatoes and fruit; less animal protein; alcohol only in moderation; frequent small meals; appetising and nutrient-preserving cooking.

Drinking plenty of fluids is always key. Migraineurs may benefit from raising their fluid intake to 3 litres per day. Water or herbal tea are ideal for keeping you hydrated. Many people get their fluid intake in the form of coffee, especially during work. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels, which enhances physical and mental productivity. The associated increase in energy turnover initially prevents a headache, but the fatigue when the effects wear off may end up causing a headache. You should therefore make sure to distribute your caffeine intake throughout the day, stick to small doses, and watch out for 'hidden' caffeine in other foods and drinks. 4 cups of coffee are considered medically acceptable, provided that your total daily caffeine dose is not higher than 200 mg (1 cup of weak coffee contains 30 mg of caffeine, a medium-strength coffee contains about 50 mg of caffeine). Take special care with medications containing caffeine and avoid them if possible. Other substances implicated in setting off a headache include monosodium glutamate, salts used to cure meat, and the amino acids tyramine and phenylalanine.

Nuts, citrus fruits, figs, raisins and soybeans are some examples of tyramine-rich foods. Tyramine can deplete the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, disrupting vascular regulation. This mechanism can trigger headaches. Chocolate contains high concentrations of both tyramine and phenylalanine. Phenylalanine also disrupts vascular regulation in the central nervous system and can trigger headache attacks in this way. In addition to the blood sugar fluctuations already mentioned, iron and magnesium deficiencies can also trigger headaches. Again, it is important to focus on eating a balanced diet. Supplements may help in certain cases.

Finally, let’s take a look at a headache type some of you will know: ice cream headache. An ice cream headache is pain in your palate, forehead, cheeks and ears set off by ice-cold food and drinks. While it is its own kind of (reversible) headache, it can trigger migraine attacks. A research group at the Neurological Institute of the University of Halle/Saale found that ice cream headache was more likely to be caused by drinking crushed ice than by eating ice cream. They also identified two subtypes of pain: one with tears and the other without (the authors interpreted this as indicating trigeminal nerve involvement). In short: avoid crushed ice (slushies, ice lollies, etc.), enjoy ice cream carefully – and it won’t end up in tears!

  • 1. Spigt M, Weerkamp N, Troost J, van Schayck CP, Knottnerus JA. A randomizedtrial on the effects of regular water intake in patients with recurrent headaches. Fam Pract. 2012 Aug; 29(4): 370–5. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmr112. Epub 2011 Nov 23.

    2. Roberts CJ, Campbell IC, Troop N. Increases in weight during chronic stress are partially associated with a switch in food choice towards increased carbohydrate and saturated fat intake. Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2014 Jan; 22(1): 77–82. doi: 10.1002/erv.2264. Epub 2013 Oct 4.

    3. Stroebele-Benschop N, Dieze A, Hilzendegen C. First come, first served. Does pouring sequence matter for consumption? Appetite. 2016 Oct 1; 105: 731–6. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.011. Epub 2016 Jul 11.

    4. Informationen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V. (DGE) – dge.de.

    5. Göbel, Hartmut: Erfolgreich gegen Kopfschmerzen und Migräne. 8. Auflage Berlin/Heidelberg. 2016. doi: 10.1007/978-3-662-50493-2.

    6. Mages S, Hensel O, Zierz AM, Kraya T, Zierz S. Experimental provocation of 'ice-cream headache' by ice cubes and ice water. Cephalalgia. 2017 Apr; 37(5): 464–469. doi: 10.1177/0333102416650704. Epub 2016 May 19.

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