Studies explain that several food products can aggravate migraine attacks. That’s because some of them affect blood pressure and others contain chemicals that cause worse pain. Find out what food products you should avoid and include in your daily diet so you can take better control of your migraine attacks.
Not every migraine attack happens because of a specific trigger. But suppose you notice that your episodes seem to stem from consuming a particular product. In that case, you must pay attention to the patterns and avoid eating or drinking your identified migraine food triggers. Below is a list of food items that migraineurs should be wary of:
A cup of coffee contains heaps of caffeine, a plant-based chemical known to cause vasoconstriction. While it can help alleviate headaches, excessive consumption can lead to caffeine dependency. This can potentially lead to worse headaches if you don’t get enough doses each day.
Besides caffeine, chocolate and other cocoa-based products contain large amounts of tyramine, an amino acid. When released in the bloodstream, tyramine boosts the norepinephrine production and trigger adverse side effects such as:
Soybean containing products like soy sauce, doenjang, and tofu contain tyramine and phytoestrogen. Unfortunately, both naturally occurring chemicals can worsen migraine attacks. As we discussed above, tyramine spikes norepinephrine levels in the bloodstream. Phytoestrogen, on the one hand, heightens the body’s pain sensitivity.
A recent study found that some fruits can immediately trigger a migraine attack among individuals who already suffer from chronic migraines. These fruits include watermelon, passion fruit, oranges, pineapple, grapes, cucumbers, papayas, and bananas.
Aged cheese like parmesan cheese, cheddar, and Brie contains heaps of tyramine. So if you are sensitive to this amino acid, we recommend steering clear from these food items.
If you are a massive fan of content creators like Uncle Roger (Nigel Ng), you will mostly know about MSG or monosodium glutamate. Essentially, it’s a popular food additive used in traditional Chinese cuisine. It’s also widely used in producing processed food products like instant noodles, condiments, and frozen meats. While it’s safe to consume MSG in tiny amounts, excessive intake can be lead to increased severity and frequency of your headaches.
Cured meats like bacon, salami, and prosciutto are staples in international cuisine. They’re also quite delicious, especially when paired with a good bottle of wine and fine-quality artisan cheese. However, eating processed or cured meats can ultimately lead to severe headaches if you are a migraineur. Deli meat contains high amounts of nitrates and nitrite, so you should limit your consumption or opt for fresh meat instead.
To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and migraines download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.
Besides avoiding food triggers, paying close attention to your diet is equally important to improving how you cope with migraine attacks. So, it will help to go on a quick shopping spree and grab healthy food products that can curb the effects of a migraine attack:
Managing your diet isn’t the only thing you need to prevent your migraines from recurring. Instead, it would help to try some proven remedies for chronic migraines. A few examples of these options include the following:
Life can be challenging when you often experience migraine symptoms. Thankfully, you can improve your symptoms by making minor lifestyle adjustments like avoiding the migraine food triggers and finding sustainable options for migraine relief in Wapakoneta.
One example of a migraine remedy that should explore is upper cervical care. Many patients who complain about migraine symptoms have experienced significant changes in their episodes after seeking the help of Dr. Aaron Kiefer.
Notably, most of these individuals aren’t aware that they have misaligned neck bones. This is because their cervical spine misalignment barely manifested physical symptoms. However, their neck bone structure changes affected their brainstem and brain function.
The additional mechanical pressure on the brainstem tissue impedes communication between brain and body. Moreover, the bones obstruct the proper drainage of blood and CSF fluids, increasing one’s risk for neurovascular compression and worse migraine attacks.
If you suspect having C1 and C2 bone misalignments or if you keep on suffering from intense bouts of migraine headaches, we strongly suggest seeing our doctor of chiropractic. The sooner we can assess your neck bones, the quicker we can schedule your upper cervical chiropractic adjustments.
Start fixing your postural imbalance and getting rid of your migraine headaches with the help of Tranquility Spinal Care today. We encourage you to call at (419) 573-0638 or write to us online to schedule your appointment.
To schedule a consultation, call our Wapakoneta office at (419) 573-0638. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
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