12 Foods to Help Get Rid of a Headache or Migraine Attack Naturally

If you ’re living with megrim , you probably know that certain foods and drinks can set off an tone-beginning . But even though it ’s of import to cognize what to forfend , focusing on the food for thought to add to your diet matter , too : It may help slim the issue or severity of migraine attacks or other types of headaches .

“ Food really is the first practice of medicine , ” saysWynne Brown , MD , the medical theatre director of integrative medicine at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston - Salem , North Carolina . “ When you ’re trying to manage migraine , what you wipe out — and when you eat on — can make all the difference , ” she suppose .

Being open to change in your diet is a good startle , say Dr. Brown . “ Often , we can get in a heat and eat the same thing over and over . By adding different unfermented fruit and vegetable to our dieting , we can reap benefit in terms of water content as well as vitamins and minerals , ” she says .

Headaches and Migraine attacks can be debilitating. Try eating these foods to curb your symptoms and even prevent an attack before it begins.

A diet with a variety of in force foods will make a grownup difference both in migraine management and overall wellness and may amend imbalance that contribute to headaches , says Brown .

If you ’re looking for ways to include foods in your diet to better manage your migraine , here are some expert tips on the foods and drinks to help you on your journey .

Bananas Give You Energy When You Need It

await for a flying and well-to-do collation that could aid stave in off a migraine attack or an episode ofhypoglycemia , which could lead to a headache ? strive for abananarather than extremely process solid food like granola bars or confect , suggest Brown .

“ Bananas are a gravid food for thought for warm energy retrieval , and they ’re high in magnesium , which can be helpful when people have headaches , ” she say .

Bananas are about 74 percentage water , so there are hydration benefits as well , Brown says .

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Watermelon Provides Fluids to Keep You Hydrated

Interesting fact : Watermelonis actually considered a veg because of the way it ’s grown , although some people would argue it belongs securely in the fruit class because of its sweet smell and higher refined sugar content .

Watermelon also has ( surprise ! ) a lot of water in it . It ’s actually 92 percentage water supply , according to theNational Watermelon Promotion Board . Getting mess of body of water — both by drinking it and by consume foods that hold in lots of water — will help you quell hydrous .

Getting enough fluids is of import for all scene of wellness , including migraine , read Brown . About one in three people with migraine say dehydration is a trigger , according to theAmerican Migraine Foundation .

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“ Many fruits and vegetable can have a hydrating effect , and the freshman it is , the higher the water capacity , ” says Brown .

Seeds and Nuts Provide Magnesium and Fiber

Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common nutritional movement of dogged orcluster headache , saysSarah Thomsen Ferreira , RD , MPH , a registered dietician with Cleveland Clinic ’s Center for Functional Medicine in Ohio .

“ Prioritizing ample amounts of magnesium - full-bodied foods daily is one of the best ways to keep these headaches at bay , ” Ferreira says .

Flaxseed , sprouted pumpkin seeds , and chia source are all goodsources of magnesium , says Ferreira . Pumpkin seed are also high in fiber , according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture , preventing theconstipationthat sometimes comes with sick headache . cashew are high in magnesium , too , she enounce .

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Herbal Teas Have Multiple Headache Benefits

Camellia sinensis can help with overallhydration , which in itself can prevent or free a headache , and calculate on the case of Camellia sinensis , there are other benefit as well , according to Brown .

“ Peppermint can be effective in assuage venous sinus pressure , ” says Brown . Sinus congestionand pressure are coarse symptom of asinus headache , brought on by rubor and puffiness of the sinuses , according to theAmerican Migraine Foundation .

“ Peppermint crude is used as an essential petroleum for a cephalalgia or migraine . You could put peppermint vegetable oil or invigorated peppermint in a cup of spicy water and inspire the steam and also salute the liquidness , ” say Brown .

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Onestudyfound that a dip of dilute peppermint oil dribble into the nose was effective in decrease the intensity of headaches due to megrim in about 42 percentage of participant who tried it .

There is some grounds that ginger afternoon tea can help oneself with a tenseness worry , according to Brown .

Anotherstudyfound that drinking a half teaspoonful of pulverised ginger in quick water helped reduce migraine severity .

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Coffee Can Stop a Headache — or Cause One

Coffeecontains caffein , which is add to some types ofheadache medications . But you may get too much of a good thing ; coffee may pass to “ caffeine rebound ” or a caffein withdrawal headache , according to theNational Headache Foundation .

A cupful of coffee is a quick fix for this character of cephalalgia , say Brown . “ It ’s authoritative to remember that caffeine can stay in your system for up to five hours , ” she says . For some people , this may top to an good afternoon headache once their cockcrow cup of coffee tree wears off , she adds .

If your caffein consumption is cause onanism headache , you might essay cutting down by drinking “ half caff ” or decaffeinated coffee , suggests Brown . “ Even decaf coffee berry has some caffeine in it , ” she bestow .

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Chocolate Can Ease a Caffeine Withdrawal Headache

Everyone wants to listen thatchocolatecan help a caffein detachment headache , say Brown with a laugh . “ Some people believe drinking chocolate is a food grouping all its own , ” she tell .

harmonize toConsumerLab.com , an independent ship’s company that test wellness and sustenance products , most dark hot chocolate have about 40 to 50 milligrams of caffeine per 1½ ounce service of process , which is about the same amount you would get in a loving cup of green tea and about half the amount in a cup of unconstipated brewed chocolate . So look on the someone , a portion of dark hot chocolate might be enough to ease a caffein backdown vexation .

dour chocolate is also a good reservoir of atomic number 12 , according to theCleveland Clinic .

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Berries May Relieve Sinus Pressure

“ Eating things that are in high spirits in antioxidants can help torelieve sinus pressureover time , ” says Brown . blueberry bush , strawberries , blackberries , and raspberries are all undecomposed choices .

Smaller fruits tend to have more pic to pesticides , and so Brown recommends getting constitutional berry whenever potential .

Mushrooms May Improve Gut Health and Prevent Migraine

Sometimes people evolve headaches because they have either absorption issue in their lower intestine or blabbermouthed gut , also known as increased intestinal permeableness , suppose Brown . “ append foods that are high in ovoflavin ( also known as B2 ) such as mushrooms , quinoa , nuts , and eggs facilitate with that , ” she says .

There is research to suggest that vitamin B2 may help inpreventing megrim . TheQuality Standards Subcommitteeof the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society concluded that vitamin B2 is “ likely efficacious ” for preventing migraine headache .

Yogurt Hydrates and May Improve Gut Health

Many people with migraine experience gastrointestinal symptom , including constipation . “ Dehydration can chip in to headaches and constipation , ” state Brown .

spare yogurt is a probiotic food that can accost both issues by kick upstairs gut health and as a reference of hydration , she say .

Brown intimate choosing Amygdalus communis or cashew yoghurt . “ For some people , dairy farm products can intensify fistula pressure and headaches , ” she says .

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Broccoli May Help Prevent Menstrual Migraine

Changes in internal secretion levels can lead to headaches , especially for women withmenstrual migraineor headaches , says Brown . fall stratum of estrogen , which occur just before menstruation begins , can trigger an attempt , according to theMigraine Research Foundation .

Women who have this eccentric of hemicrania would do good from increase their intake of cruciferous vegetable , because of their effects on estrogen , Brown says .

Cruciferous veggie contain hormonally active compounds called phytoestrogens , which can have estrogenic , or estrogen - like , effects in humans — or , conversely , antiestrogenic effects . It ’s suppose that the antiestrogenic effects of some phytoestrogens may lower a woman ’s risk of certaintypes of cancerby lowering her photograph to her own estrogen .

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Someresearchindicates phytoestrogens improve bone mineral concentration and markers of cardiovascular risk of exposure in postmenopausal women — personal effects that oestrogen would be expected to have in premenopausal womanhood .

There ’s also someevidencethat phytoestrogens help to keep catamenial migraine attacks in premenopausal char .

“ Broccoli , Brussels shoot , bok choy — those can all be very helpful if you let in more of them in your dieting , ” says Brown .

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Spinach and Swiss Chard Are Sources of Magnesium

Spinach , Swiss chard , and other leafy putting green are smashing source of atomic number 12 , which can minify or even forbid migraine in some case , say Brown .

Several studies have found that many the great unwashed with migraine have low brain atomic number 12 levels , according to theAmerican Migraine Foundation , and many people with migraine take Mg supplements in addition to theirmigraine medications .

According to remarks made byBelinda Savage - Edwards , MD , a neurologist in Huntsville , Alabama , at the Migraine World Summit , add-on should supplement the food you wipe out , not substitute it , and a all-embracing variety of healthy food for thought provide magnesium .

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It ’s important to check over with your physician before going on any character of supplement for megrim or any other health condition .

Black Beans Help Keep Blood Glucose Levels Stable

Reactive hypoglycemia , meaning a decrease inblood sugar after eatingdependent on the type of food consumed , can lead to headaches , read Ferreira . If your headaches worsen after prospicient periods without nutrient or begin shortly after meals , she indicate switch to carbohydrates that will keep your ancestry sugar spirit level more unchanging .

“ Carbohydrate type that can help with more stable blood dinero include black beans , squash , quinoa , or rootle vegetables , ” suppose Ferreira .

Such foods have alow glycemic load , meaning that a distinctive part of the food enhance blood glucose storey a small to restrained amount . In contrast , food for thought such as ashen riceand highly processed breakfast cereal be given to raise blood glucose point more and quicker .

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Most Recent in Migraine

Jessica Baity , MD , is a board - certified neurologist practicing in southerly Louisiana . She cares for a variety of patients in all fields of neurology , including epilepsy , headache , dementia , movement disorders , multiple sclerosis , and stroke .

She received a knight bachelor ’s grade in external studies and history from the University of Miami and a master ’s in external relations from American University . She graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine , where she also did her internship in inner practice of medicine and her residence in neurology . Prior to practicing medicine , she worked in external relation back and owned a foreign language instruction and displacement party .

Becky Upham has been professionally involve in wellness and wellness for almost 20 years . She ’s been a wash director , a recruiter for Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company , a blogger for Moogfest , a communications managing director for Mission Health , a fittingness instructor , and a health coach .

She majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master ’s in English writing from Hollins University .

Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes , running , reading fabrication , and making playlists .

12 Foods to Help Get Rid of a Headache or Migraine Attack Naturally