Migraine is not just a bad headache
Migraine is a complex condition with a wide variety of symptoms. For many people the main feature is a painful headache. Other symptoms include disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, feeling sick and vomiting. Migraine attacks can be very frightening and may result in you having to lie still for several hours.The symptoms will vary from person to person and individuals may have different symptoms during different attacks. Your attacks may differ in length and frequency. Migraine attacks usually last from 4 to 72 hours and most people are free from symptoms between attacks. Migraine can have an enormous impact on your work, family and social lives.
What causes Migraine?
There is no known cause for migraine, although most people with it are genetically predisposed to migraine. If you are susceptible to migraine there are certain triggers which commonly occur. These include stress, lack of food, alcohol, hormonal changes in women, lack of sleep and the environment.
Research has shown surprising links between migraine and food. Certain foods can cause migraines, while others can prevent or even treat them.
Migraine Diet: Pain-Safe Foods
Pain-safe foods virtually never contribute to headaches or other painful conditions. These include:
- Rice, especially brown rice
- Cooked green vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard, or collards
- Cooked orange vegetables, such as carrots or sweet potatoes
- Cooked yellow vegetables, such as summer squash
- Cooked or dried non-citrus fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes (but not citrus fruits, apples, bananas, peaches, or tomatoes)
- Water: Plain water or carbonated forms, such as Perrier, are fine. Other beverages-even herbal teas-can be triggers.
- Condiments: Modest amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are usually well-tolerated.
*Common Migraine Triggers*
Common triggers often cause headaches in susceptible people. Just as some food sensitivities manifest as a rash on your skin, migraine sufferers have a reaction in the blood vessels and nerves. Here are the common food triggers, also known as the "Dirty Dozen," in order of importance:
dairy products*
chocolate
eggs
citrus fruits
meat**
wheat (bread, pasta, etc.)
nuts and peanuts
tomatoes
onions
corn
apples
bananas*
Include skim or whole cow's milk, goat's milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
Certain beverages and additives are also among the worst triggers, including alcoholic beverages (especially red wine), caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, and colas), monosodium glutamate, aspartame (NutraSweet), and nitrites.
Foods that are neither on the pain-safe list nor the common trigger list should be considered possible, but unlikely, triggers. Almost any common food, other than the pain-safe list, has triggered migraine in an isolated individual in a research study, so they cannot be considered completely above suspicion, but they are far from the most likely culprit.