Migraines can be a real pain, and finding a suitable treatment option can be daunting. While visiting a physician and being prescribed medications might be the easiest route, it might not be the most efficient for everyone. Instead, consider adopting a migraine-relief diet as a potential treatment strategy. This approach goes beyond avoiding known migraine-trigger foods to following a diet with proven abilities to ward them off. Here are three such diets that might work for you:
High Omega-3/Low Omega-6 Diet
Many Western diets are too high in omega-6 fatty acids and too low in omega-3s, which can lead to chronic inflammation that subsequently encourages migraines. In fact, the ratio of omega-6/3 has been noted to be as high as 20:1 when it should be around 2:1, or a maximum of 4:1.
Since omega-3s are widely recognized for their potent anti-inflammatory powers, it’s not surprising that a study on migraine sufferers revealed that omega-3 supplementation reduces headache frequency.
To balance out these fatty acid ratios in your diet, consume fewer omega-6 rich foods, particularly processed oils like soybean, corn, sunflower, and other generic vegetable oils. Simultaneously, aim to include more omega-3-rich food sources such as chia seeds, walnuts, and fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, herring, and tuna. You can also supplement your diet with fish or krill oil.
Ketogenic Diet
A ketogenic diet lowers your intake of carbohydrates to fewer than 20 grams per day. Just to get an idea of how low that is, dietary guidelines recommend an average intake of 225-325 grams a day, and most Americans take in more carbs than that. But after several days of following this super low-carb diet, your body begins to burn fat instead of carbohydrates, to provide cells with energy.
One study found that a group of migraine sufferers had a 75 percent reduction in the frequency of their migraines after adopting a strict ketogenic diet for a month. The researchers concluded that the migraine reduction was due to a universal reduction of inflammation, altering migraine trigger patterns.
The strict version of the ketogenic diet encourages foods high in protein (grass-fed beef, fish, poultry, and eggs) and an abundance of healthy fat (coconut, avocado, flaxseed, olive oil, and animal fats). It also promotes the inclusion of low-carb non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, and herbs.
A more relaxed version of the ketogenic diet allows for some carbohydrates, as long as they have a low glycemic index. Search the Glycemic Index database for foods under 55 on the GI scale, though the lower the number, the better!
High Folate Diet
Folate (vitamin B9) is a water-soluble vitamin that supports your immune and nervous systems while also helping your body metabolize amino acids. A study on diet and migraines found that people who eat diets lower in folate tend to experience more migraines. It could be because folate is crucial to brain function as well as the health of your blood vessels. Some migraine pain occurs due to dilation of blood vessels in the brain.
Make it a daily goal to eat five or more servings of folate-rich foods like spinach, broccoli, asparagus, beef liver, Brussels sprouts, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, and mustard greens. You can also add a folic acid supplement to your diet.
Folate can also lower your stroke risk, something migraine sufferers may be at higher risk for.
Overall, these comprehensive diets focus on providing a large quantity of vitamins, minerals, and certain nutrients known to relieve inflammatory triggers. The result of following either one is that they may ease the frequency and severity of your migraines — and that has to be great news for you!
