The diet for migraines, headache or migraine should be a personalized diet based on a common basis, since each person has a specific food tolerance and triggers with greater weight in pain crises.
Migraines, headaches or migraines
Headache in general is a symptom of another imbalance or pathology (intestine, liver, pancreas, etc.). Vasoconstriction of the blood vessels of the brain occurs; however, nowadays a special role is attributed to serotonin and histamine, which cause vasodilation as compensation for previous vasoconstriction. So in your diet for migraines we have to monitor the precursors of such neurotransmitters.
Triggers
There are several triggers for migraines, headaches or migraines, which vary from person to person:
- Toxic chain of intestinal malabsorption. Increased serotonin and histamine.
- Enzymatic DAO deficiency.
- Sensitivity to certain foods (food histamines).
- Alteration of the microbiota (intestinal flora).
- Dysfunction of the liver or gallbladder.
- Stress, anxiety.
- Influence of time, temperature, luminosity.
- Abuse of stimulants such as coffee, tea or coke, although there is also a weekend migraine that is exacerbated by not taking them.
- Intolerance to certain foods (mediated by IgG).
- Deficiency of omega -3 , potassium or vitamin B2.
- Excessive physical exercise that generates hypoxia.
- Certain phases of the menstrual cycle.
Diet for headaches
- Establish a fixed schedule of 5-6 meals, taking into account:
- At all meals there must be: protein, fat and carbohydrates.
- Three main meals and two / three snacks.
- Do not miss more than an hour, since you get up without breakfast.
- Do not spend more than 4-5 hours between meals.
- If you spend more than 3 hours from dinner to bedtime, you should take a snack (mid-morning or snack).
- Diet for migraines and headaches. Follow the advice of our nutritionists
- The preparation of the food will be grilled, cooked, steamed, oven…. Avoid culinary preparations that incorporate a lot of fat: fried, stews, breaded, stews, etc.
- You can season the food (lemon, vinegar, spices, pepper …) to flavor the dishes.
Foods that can cause headaches or migraines
EVITA: dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurts), sugar (read labeling) and refined cereals (bread, pasta, bakery, processed foods), because they often favor an intestinal malabsorption of their proteins.
It reduces the consumption of coffee, sugars (dextrose, glucose, maltose, lactose, fructose, and honey), refined carbohydrates and refined fats. By activating the hormone insulin, they activate the proinflammatory mediators and aggravate the symptoms. Coffee in some people improves symptoms. There have been cases of habitual coffee drinkers suffering from “migraine of the weekend”, when interrupting their consumption those days.
Do not mix starches in the same food: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, bananas, corn, beets, and squash.
Increases consumption of foods rich in potassium (banana, citrus, almonds, avocado, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, tomato, milk). A low potassium level may increase the risk of chronic headache .
It increases the consumption of garlic and onion, since they are purifying and improve the elimination of toxins.
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Diet for migraines. Migraine-producing foods
DAO Enzyme Deficiency
Depending on the person with low activity of the enzyme DAO (diaminooxidasa), foods rich in amines biogenic ( tyramine and histamine ) can harm your headaches or migraines because they are vasodilators: cured or processed foods, cheeses, sausages (salami, bacon ), preserves (tuna, sardines, mussels, etc.), beers, fermented vegetables – pickles pickles, sauerkraut, olives – chocolate, fermented soy products, industrial pastries, precooked foods, balsamic vinegar or Modena, beef, caviar, avocado, banana, beans, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, spinach, peas, figs, raisins, alcoholic beverages, as alcohol also inhibits the enzyme DAO,especially red wine and cava.
Avoid foods containing other amines that compete with histamine for the enzyme DAO like citrus, strawberries, tomato, tomato sauce, spinach, eggplant, banana, chocolate, avocado, nuts, beer . Neither endogenous histamine releasing foods such as seafood, egg white, papaya. Eye with some additives that favor the accumulation of histamine, such as monosodium glutamate (very common in Chinese food), nitrites (in processed meat and fish, this headache is known as the “hot dog headache “, And sometimes accompanied by facial flushing), tartrazine, sulfites or benzoates. Do not take milk and dairy products either. (yogurts and cheese) for their abundance in tryptophan, precursor of serotonin.
Food Histaminosis
In some patients the DAO enzyme activity analysis is normal, but if a cell activation and sensitization test is performed , some foods are found to favor high levels of histamine . Intolerance to these foods manifests between 3 and 10 nanograms / mL. The dietary treatment consists in the elimination of the diet of these foods harmful to the person and that can be as daily as milk, chicken, veal, pork or fish both white and blue.
Migraine Medications
More than 90 commonly used oral medications have been published, which inhibit or block the activity of the DAO enzyme, favoring the accumulation of histamine. These include analgesics (acetylsalicylic acid), antihistamines (cimetidine), mucolytics / expectorates (ambroxol and acetylcysteine), tranquilizers (diazepam), neuroleptics (haloperidol), antidepressants, antihypertensives, diuretics (amiloride and furosemide) antibiotics (clavulanic acid and isoniazid)…
Serotonin and migraine
An unbalanced intestine has been shown to contribute to overproduction of serotonin, since it reduces the production of monoamine oxidases, enzymes that break down serotonin. The external toxins we come into contact with (tobacco, contamination, food, additives, etc.) are “filtered” in the first intestinal barrier.
When this barrier fails or there is an imbalance of microbiota (intestinal flora), these potentially harmful substances reach the liver and if they cannot be metabolized, they are absorbed into the blood and can generate intolerances, allergies, migraine, fluid retention, chronic inflammation or diseases autoimmune diseases.
In your diet for migraines or headaches it is important not to overeat foods rich in tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin: legumes, cheese, tuna, salmon and almonds.
Migraine home remedies
Every morning on an empty stomach, take a glass of water with 2-3 drops of lemon.
Each night, take a cup of this cleansing broth for one month.
Diet for migraines and headaches. Purifying soup. This is the recipe of the depurative broth of the Coherent Diet
It increases the consumption of anti-inflammatory spices, which improve the response to the body’s pain and activate the elimination of toxins.
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Diet for migraines
Spices-anti-inflammatory
- It stimulates hepatobiliary clearance by taking a supplement of Artichoke and Marian thistle for 15 days.
- It is important to restock the microbiota (intestinal flora) in spring and autumn and increase the consumption of prebiotic foods in your diet for migraines (oats, grated apple, garlic, onions, beets, leeks and artichokes).
- Take an infusion of boldo after eating to activate the digestive processes.
- Take warm baths of hands and feet when the first signs of a migraine attack (vasoconstriction counterregulation) appear.
- Practice moderate outdoor exercise at least a little more than usual. 40 minutes of walking a day.
- Drink 1.5-2 liters of water a day.
- Better off meals.
- Moderate the amount of salt. In case of liquid retention it is recommended the “salt without sodium”.
- The Coca-cola , the coffee and tea are potent stimulators of insulin levels, inflammation and pain, so it has to reduce its consumption and if taken, decaffeinated take them.
- Try to reduce the level of stress because it causes the same physiological response as caffeine. It is advisable to practice relaxation techniques or yoga.
- Improve sleep quality with a stroll before bed and stretching, relaxation, yoga,…
