Migraine typically manifests as moderate to severe headache attacks, making daily activities difficult for individuals. Experts state that the relationship between migraine and nutrition is very complex, with some foods reducing symptoms while others can increase them. Nutrition and diet specialist Esra Tansu Sarıyer emphasizes that prolonged hunger, skipping meals, night snacking, and late dinner consumption, in particular, lead to attacks. Sarıyer advises migraine patients to avoid fermented meat and cheese products, alcoholic beverages, coffee, sugar, chocolate, cold drinks, and ice cream to prevent possible attacks.
Which foods and beverages trigger migraine?
Lecturer Esra Tansu Sarıyer from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, made evaluations regarding the dietary habits of migraine patients and shared information about foods and beverages that should be avoided.
Certain foods trigger migraine
Nutrition and diet specialist Esra Tansu Sarıyer stated that migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headache attacks and reversible neurological and systemic symptoms. She said, “Migraine headaches usually occur in attacks, making daily activities difficult for individuals. We can say that the relationship between migraine and nutrition is very complex. Some foods can reduce symptoms, while others can increase them. Some foods affect the nervous system by having vasoconstrictor or vasodilator effects, leading to pain. Therefore, taking a detailed nutritional history is very important in evaluating the frequency and severity of disease attacks.”
Consumption of migraine triggers should be avoided
Sarıyer stated, ‘Studies show that both foods and dietary patterns, as well as diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and insulin resistance, are effective in triggering migraine attacks,’ and continued:
“Physiological hunger and thirst have generally been found to trigger migraine. Another important migraine trigger is alcohol. Red wine, particularly containing tyramine and histamine, is stated to be the most common alcohol triggering migraine. Tyramine, a vasoactive amine, triggers pain by causing an increase in blood pressure. Due to their high tyramine content, fermented cheese types, meat products, and alcoholic beverage consumption should be avoided. Furthermore, coffee consumption, one of the most significant sources of caffeine, increases attack frequency by acting on stimulatory adenosine receptors and inhibitors in the brain and blood vessels. It has also been revealed that headache severity increases after the consumption of monosodium glutamate, used as a flavor enhancer in foods. Chocolate can also trigger migraine due to components such as theobromine, caffeine, and phenylethylamine. Therefore, its consumption should be avoided during attack periods.”
Migraine patients should not follow a Western-style diet
Nutrition and diet specialist Sarıyer stated that the relationship between dietary patterns, attack frequency, and severity in migraine patients has been examined, and said, “Prolonged hunger, skipping meals, night snacking, and late dinner consumption, in particular, cause attacks. Individuals often neglect water consumption during attack periods due to fatigue and weakness, while also skipping meals or eating irregularly. Furthermore, after prolonged hunger, patients tend to consume foods high in sugar and fat to quickly feel full. In fact, this practice exacerbates the patients’ pain. Patients keeping their blood sugar levels stable by having small snacks will reduce attacks. High-fat and high-sugar diets and frequent consumption of fast-food-style foods trigger migraine attacks. Therefore, migraine patients should avoid Western-style diets.
Here are the foods and beverages to avoid…
Lecturer Esra Tansu Sarıyer from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Üsküdar Üniversitesi, listed the extremely important points that migraine patients should pay attention to regarding nutrition as follows:
• In migraine patients, reactive hypoglycemia after simple sugar consumption should be considered, or the possibility of headache after hunger should be taken into account,
• Individuals should avoid sugar consumption to prevent attacks and should definitely have small snacks to regulate blood sugar,
• Patients should be informed that prioritizing protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber consumption in the diet can prevent hypoglycemia. Therefore, patients should include high-fiber and complex carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, bulgur, fruits, vegetables, and legumes in their diet,
• Meal plans for individuals should be designed so that the hunger period does not exceed 2-3 hours during the day,
• Consumption of food additives such as nitrites, nitrates, and MSG should be avoided as they can trigger migraine attacks,
• Consumption of fermented products such as cheese, beer, wine, and meat, as well as ingredients found in canned foods and seafood, should be avoided as they can trigger migraine attacks,
• Consumption of caffeine-containing foods such as coffee, tea, and chocolate should be reduced as much as possible in the diet,
• It should not be forgotten that food allergies can trigger migraine attacks. Individuals need to be sensitive to foods they are allergic to,
• Cold drinks and ice cream are migraine triggers, so consumption of cold foods like ice cream should be avoided. Drinks should also not be consumed too cold.