Is Your Diet Feeding Your Migraine?

For those who suffer migraine attacks because of their diet, paying attention to what is eaten and drank is paramount and even if diet is not the main cause, following a healthy diet will show a vast improvement in their symptoms by eliminating the foods that can trigger such attacks. Not only will a healthy diet help to prevent migraine attacks but significantly overall health will improve.

There are many triggers that cause a migraine attack, however for some sufferers diet can be a major culprit. Studies have shown that migraine sufferers can be divided into three main categories when the issue of diet plays a role in migraine attacks.

Category 1. When diet is the primary cause of migraine attacks.

Category 2. The sufferers in this category are normally able to eat and drink what they like without any fear of food being a trigger for their migraine.

Category 3. Diet will only be a factor in triggering a migraine attack for the sufferers in this particular category if outside problems such as stress and other emotional issues become prevalent.

There are two types of reaction to the food and drink that is consumed by migraine sufferers. Firstly there is the more common reaction and that is the reaction to the chemicals, whether they are additives, preservatives or natural substances such as tyramine, which is found in a number of foods like citrus fruits or aged foods (mature cheeses and some processed meats). Secondly there is quite often a general intolerance to certain foods.

It is worth remembering that a food reaction may not occur for at least a 2 hours and could even be in some cases 12 hours after the food is consumed. For this very reason alone many sufferers are totally unaware that something they ate or drank many hours before may be the cause of their migraine.

To discover what foods and drink cause a reaction and trigger a migraine attack, it is very important to keep a record by either using a diary or keeping notes. This will enable you to identify and eliminate those particular trigger foods from your diet.

Once you have identified the food triggers, the next step to take is to plan a migraine diet and avoid those foods which have caused the problems. A simple tip when buying food from your local store or supermarket, is to make a point of reading the labels to see what is contained in the food. Take it from me you'll be surprised!

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