What foods to avoid for migraines

Eating a nutritious, well-rounded diet is important for everyone, but processed foods can be especially high in migraine-triggering substances. “A healthy migraine diet is a fresh diet,” says Dr. Martin. That means eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, and lean meats, similar to the Mediterranean diet. Here’s a list of foods to avoid:

• Processed meats like hot dogs, sausage, and bacon, which contain nitrites
• Aged cheeses, such as blue cheese, and red wine, which contain tyramine
• Chocolate, which contains beta-phenylethylamine
• The artificial sweeteners aspartame and sucralose

When you make foods from scratch, you can control what goes into each dish and make sure you’re eating fresh, simple ingredients. While you don’t need to eliminate all the foods above, try spotting a link between consuming any of them and ensuing headaches.

Although a nutritious diet is important, you should also be aware that even some healthy foods can trigger migraines. These include:

• Citrus fruits
• Peanuts and tree nuts
• Beans
• Cultured dairy products

So it’s good to pay attention to what you’re eating and if you get a migraine after consuming it, even if you stick to mostly fresh foods.

Some people who get migraines may also have celiac disease, in which case eating gluten — a protein found in wheat — can trigger a migraine. Rather than trying to eliminate whole food groups on your own in your quest to reduce migraines, work with a doctor as you make changes. “Discussion about dietary changes should happen with your health provider to ensure you’re maintaining a healthy, balanced diet,” says Dr. VanderPluym.

Some evidence suggests that eating inflammation-fighting foods may help reduce migraines, says Martin, who coauthored a two-part study on diet and migraine that was published in October 2016 in the Headache: The Journal of Headache and Face Pain. In particular, eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease inflammation, while foods high in omega-6 fatty acids may increase inflammation. “It’s the ratio of those foods that’s important; it’s not just eating omega-3s,” Martin explains, but also limiting omega-6 fatty acids. Foods high in omega-3 include salmon, flaxseed, olive oil, and walnuts. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in vegetable oils, such as corn oil.

The study also found that low-fat diets can help reduce migraines in some people, but remember to work with your doctor on any major diet changes. “You should always discuss dietary changes with your healthcare provider prior to making them to ensure that they are safe for you,” says VanderPluym.

If you’ve ever gotten a migraine after eating at an Asian restaurant, the culprit might be monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG. “Caffeine withdrawal and administration of MSG have the strongest evidence for triggering attacks of headache,” says VanderPluym. MSG is a flavor enhancer commonly found in soy sauce, some packaged foods, bouillon, and Asian foods. It can be tricky to spot, because MSG might be listed under another name, including “natural flavoring,” “all-natural preservatives,” “hydrolyzed fat,” or “hydrolyzed protein.” If you’re sensitive to MSG, you’ll know it: Symptoms start within 20 to 25 minutes of consuming it and can include headache, facial flushing, a burning sensation or tightness in the chest, and abdominal discomfort.

The form of MSG matters as well. “Studies show MSG is more likely to cause a headache if it’s in liquid than if it’s in [solid] food,” says Martin. “That’s because food delays the absorption of MSG.” That means eating wonton soup from your favorite Chinese restaurant is more likely to cause a headache than, say, General Tso’s chicken.

Staying hydrated is key when it comes to migraine management because dehydration is a common migraine trigger. In fact, mild to moderate headaches can be a sign of dehydration, according to the NHF. Aim to drink eight 8-ounce (oz) glasses of water each day, though your ideal intake may vary based on other factors. You might need to drink more water when it’s hot or dry outside or when you exercise. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding also require a higher fluid intake.

Try to stick to water to stay hydrated, though you can also try herbal teas or other healthy drinks to add some variety.

Caffeine, which is found in tea, coffee, and soda, has a delicate relationship with migraines. Because it contains pain-relieving properties, caffeine can actually help people who are in the midst of a migraine attack; in fact, it’s a common ingredient in headache relief medication. In small amounts, regular caffeine consumption probably won’t hurt. “For most people with migraines, 1 cup of caffeine a day is fine, unless their headaches are really extreme,” says Martin. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an 8 oz cup of coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine.

People who consume too much caffeine can build up a tolerance that increases their risk of experiencing caffeine withdrawal symptoms when they stop consuming it, including anxiety and headache. “Caffeine withdrawal headaches may start as early as 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine and peak 20 to 51 hours later and may last for up to nine days,” notes VanderPluym.

To be on the safe side, try limiting your caffeine intake (for example, no more than 2.8-oz cups of coffee or tea), unless you find that even a small amount triggers a migraine for you.

There are many possible food triggers tied to migraines, and the ones that affect you might be different from the ones that affect someone else. In addition, it can be hard to pinpoint whether a particular food is really a trigger for you. “Our diets consist of many different things. If you get frequent headaches, it becomes difficult to know which headaches are by chance and which may be associated with parts of your diet,” says VanderPluym.

Keeping a food diary can help. Try writing down what you eat each day and whether you experience a migraine soon after. “If over 50 percent of the time when you consume a food or drink it triggers a headache either that day or the following day, it’s probably a trigger,” says Martin. If you suspect something is a trigger, you can then try to eliminate it from your diet to see if it reduces the number of migraines you experience. If you’re unsure if something is a trigger for you, you can also get a blood test to measure food reactivity by tracking what are called IgG antibodies and then eliminating the foods you react to.

If you keep a food diary and can’t find a pattern between your diet and migraines, it may be that you don’t have specific food triggers.

Even if you don’t have any food triggers, there’s one diet habit that is linked to migraines: skipping meals. “We do know that long periods of fasting can provoke headaches,” says Martin. Along those lines, eating a few big meals each day can also spike your blood sugar and make you more susceptible to migraines. Instead, “a pattern of regular, small meals is recommended,” says VanderPluym. The American Migraine Foundation suggests eating five or six small, calorie-controlled meals throughout the day. This can help you prevent hunger-related headaches, keep your blood sugar on an even keel, and avoid eating large amounts of any foods that could trigger a headache.

One easy way to stave off migraines is to have a snack during the long stretch between dinner and breakfast the following morning. Martin was involved in a study published in April 2014 in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience that looked at the connection between snacking at night and migraines. He and other researchers found that people who ate a nighttime snack were 40 percent less likely to experience a headache the next day, compared with those who didn’t eat anything between dinner and breakfast.

A healthy weight isn’t just good for your overall health; it can also reduce the frequency of your migraines. “Obesity has been shown as a risk factor for progression of migraine from a pattern of less than 14 headache days per month, called episodic, to more than 15 headache days per month, which is referred to as chronic,” says VanderPluym. In fact, getting to a healthy weight can be part of headache treatment. “We often tell people with chronic headache to lose weight,” says Martin, who sometimes refers people with migraine and obesity problems to a weight loss clinic. Plus, while obesity doesn’t cause migraines, it is a risk factor that is tied to a host of other conditions that can impact migraines, such as obstructive sleep apnea and occasionally elevated spinal fluid pressure.

If you need to lose weight, work with your doctor to develop a diet and exercise plan. It’s also important to coordinate with your doctor because migraine medication can impact your weight as well.