Migraine triggers fall into several classes including diet, stress, sleep, and environmental factors.  These are specific to each individual person.  Over time many people with migraines learn what factors commonly trigger a headache.  Avoiding these triggers may decrease headache frequency.

This is a good time to mention the usefulness of a headache diary.  By documenting the headache frequency and severity in conjunction with environmental factors surrounding each episode including food, sleep, stress level, weather and exposures one will be easily able to retrospectively identify common factors that might have triggered the episode.  A headache diary will also come in handy when you discuss the effectiveness of new headache treatments with your doctor.  It will give him objective data to tailor your best headache therapy.

There are a number of foods that contain chemicals that represent migraine triggers in susceptible persons.  However, the food that triggers a headache in one person may not do so in another.  Therefore, you must go through the process of evaluating each food to determine if it is a factor in your headache.  This is a trial and error process.  A simple approach would be the elimination of all potential foods at one time for several months to see if the headache frequency decreases.  Afterwards you can then try to reintroduce one food at the time and wait several months to see if the headache returns. 

We have outlined below common and rare triggers including specific chemicals that are known to cause migraine headaches.

The MSG relationship to migraine does not apply to all persons but may be significant in some.  MSG is in many processed foods and may not be listed on the label.  It may be necessary to ask restaurants if MSG is used.

They are also foods that may help migraine.  Serotonin is a brain chemical important in migraine.  Foods that increase serotonin levels may help with migraine headaches.  The body does not get serotonin from food but makes serotonin from tryptophan in the diet so foods high in tryptophan are useful.  Foods that may increase serotonin levels and are high in tryptophan are turkey, chicken, duck, black-eyed peas, black and English walnuts, almonds, sesame or pumpkin seeds, cheeses (Cheddar, Gruyere, cottage or Swiss), whole grains, rice and dairy products.

Overall you should eat a balanced diet and try to eat small amounts during the day.  Falling blood sugar levels may be a factor in precipitating migraine headaches.

A useful cookbook for people living with migraine is: “Migraine Headaches And The Foods You Eat: 200 Recipes For Relief” by Agnes Hartnell and Scott Tyler.  Another useful book is the “Migraine Cookbook” by a Sharp.

If you have questions or comments regarding this topic that you would like for us to address here in the future please don’t hesitate to email us at Headache@Wisedoctors.com.