Migraines can be very painful for many people. Knowing your triggers can help reduce the frequency of episodes. “Dietary triggers are often reported by people with migraines,” said Dr. Vincent Martin of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Martin is the president of the National Headache Foundation. Martin explained that triggers are very individualistic. This means that foods that trigger headaches in one person might not cause headaches in another. Martin explained to Fox News Digital that common triggers include alcohol, artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame, processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and citrus fruits.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of headaches. Here are some ways to find out and live a healthier lifestyle.
(iStock).But it can sometimes be difficult to identify personal triggers. There are several ways to pinpoint your triggers and live a healthier lifestyle. Martin said that even sugary foods can trigger headaches. He said that even sugary foods can trigger headaches. Although different patients have different triggers for headaches, nuts, wine, hard cheeses and alcohol are all common triggers. These triggers should be known and monitored by patients to see if headaches occur within a few hours. Dr. Louise M. Klebanoff is chief of general neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York. It’s possible that the trigger is a food that causes headaches more than 50% of the times. According to the American Migraine Foundation, certain foods can trigger headaches immediately. Other foods can trigger headaches 24 hours later. Although many processed foods contain multiple ingredients, migraines can be triggered by one ingredient.
Experts recommend asking the following question: “Is it really the food or drink causing the headache? Or is it one of the many chemicals or ingredients in these foods?”
(iStock). “Foods are made up of many ingredients that contain many chemical compounds,” stated Lena Beal, Atlanta, Georgia, national spokesperson of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. According to multiple reports, alcohol is a common trigger. According to multiple reports, alcohol is a common trigger for migraines. 35.6% of migraine sufferers reported that alcoholic beverages were a trigger. Red wine was the most common trigger among alcoholic beverages according to a 2018 study published in the European Journal of Neurology.
A woman enjoying a glass of wine
(iStock). Although the exact cause of migraines in wine is unknown, experts believe certain compounds in wine, such tannins or flavonoids, can cause headaches. Dehydration can also be a factor in headache development. Healthline recommends that you check your caffeine intake. Coffee, tea, and chocolate are all common foods that contain caffeine. According to a review published in Nutrients 2021, caffeine has been shown to trigger migraines and also help with curing them. Although the paper did not provide enough evidence to recommend stopping caffeine consumption for all migraine sufferers, it did highlight that excessive caffeine or sudden stopping caffeine can cause migraines.
One study found that caffeine intake can cause migraines.
(iStock). “Coffee is a double-edged weapon — 1-2 cups per day is fine, but excessive quantities can exacerbate migraines.” Consistency is key, so 1-2 cups per day, every day” Klebanoff, Weill Cornell Medicine, said. Healthline says that cheeses such as cheddar, Parmesan, blue and feta are some of the most common triggers of migraines.
A selection of cheeses. According to a study, aged cheeses like blue, Parmesan, cheddar, and feta are some of the most common triggers for migraines.
(iStock).The longer the cheese has aged, a higher level of tyramine can cause headaches. However, migraines can be caused by MAO inhibitors. “Ham, bacon and deli meats like sausage, bacon, hot dogs, and sausage are high in sodium-nitrates. These foods are used for flavor, red colour and prevention of harmful bacteria. However, excessive intake can trigger headaches,” Beal said to Fox News Digital.
High sodium nitrate foods include ham, bacon, hot dogs, deli meats, sausages, and deli meats.
(iStock). The “elimination” of each food for a few weeks may help to determine if it is the food or another underlying issue. Learn more about MSGMonosodium Glutamate (or MSG), which is a naturally occurring chemical in our bodies. However, it can also be found in many foods such as tomatoes, and ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, as well as food add-ons such as ketchup or barbecue sauce. To determine whether MSG causes migraines, more research is needed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recognizes that MSG in food is safe. However, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain found that MSG can trigger migraines. According to a 2012 Neurological Science study, chocolate is one of the most common triggers for migraines.
Dark chocolate slices with chocolate chips. The verdict on whether chocolate can trigger migraines is still uncertain.
(iStock). Klebanoff said that chocolate may be a craving, not a trigger. A 2020 review in Nutrients found no evidence that chocolate triggers migraines. According to the Association of Migraine Disorders, migraines are often triggered by nuts such as peanut butter and all kinds of seeds. NATIONAL NUTS DAY: HEALTH BLESSINGS OF PISTACHIOS ALMONDS, CASHEWS, AND MORE REVEALED There are certain situations where a single food item can cause migraines, but it is often more complicated than that.
A young woman works at her computer and eats a variety of unhealthy foods. It is difficult to determine the cause of a headache because there are many other factors.
(iStock).Bickel used the example of having a headache after drinking a glass wine. “Perhaps you could drink a glass red wine if your sleep is good and your stress levels are low. But if you have poor sleep and high levels of stress, the same glass of red wine can trigger a migraine. Beal stated that it is difficult to determine the cause of headaches because there are many factors to consider. These include:Eyeglass prescriptions that may be incorrectHeadache medication modificationsSkipping mealsDehydrationNot getting enough rest before headaches startedStress and anxietyStages of menstrual cycles when headaches startedWeather triggersFamily histories Klebanoff stated that while lifestyle interventions can greatly reduce migraine frequency, there are many medications that can be very effective.