No one knows for sure what causes migraine headaches. However, many migraine sufferers claim that there is a connection between some components of their diet and their headaches.
Unfortunately, these triggers, as they are known, are as numerous as there are people who have migraine headaches. Even worse, it may not be one particular factor but a compounding of several.
Finding out if your migraines are triggered off by items in your diet, and thus eliminating them , is a great way to find Migraine Relief" href="http://naturalmigrainerelief.net/" target="_blank">natural migraine relief.
So how can you discover if it is a particular food or drink or perhaps an ingredient of a foodstuff or beverage that is the cause of your migraine attacks? The easiest method to find out is to use an elimination diet.
The first thing to do is to compose a list of possible culprits. If your migraine headaches come along after you’ve eaten, take a note of what you had to eat . Next time you experience a migraine , check what you had to eat for the last meal or two. If there is a common item in your meals prior to the onset of a migraine you may have discovered your particular trigger. Remove this item or ingredient from your diet for a while and see if your migraines are eliminated or at least reduced . If not, keep trying to find a connection .
To begin with , here is a list of some of the most usual migraine triggers that sufferers have described .
Caffeine
Caffeine is a major constituent of many staple drinks including coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks. It is also found in several other foods such as those incorporating chocolate. Caffeine can be a strong trigger for lots of folks , causing them to develop headaches very quickly after consumption.A further problem connected with caffeine is that it is possible to get “hooked” on it and suffer withdrawal headaches when it is removed from the diet.
Sauces and Condiments
Salad dressings and sauces such as tomato are a trigger for many. The reason is not known , but it may be linked to a combination of several triggers all coming together at the same time.
Processed Meats
Nitrates are thought by many to be a potent migraine trigger. Most people get most of their nitrates from processed meat, for example, items like hot dogs, sausage, bacon, tinned and loose processed lunchmeats, etc.
Spices and Additives
There is a wealth of different spices and any one of them can act as a trigger. There may be some link, at least in part, to smell sensitivity, as many spices have a pungent odor. Seasonings that appear to give migraine sufferers the most trouble include monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer and meat tenderizer, (a very common ingredient in many Asian foods), artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and vinegar.
Sugar Cane
The association between migraines and cane sugar (or refined sugar), has been well-documented. Sugar is on the top ten culprits list for migraine triggers.
Sensitivity to sugar is not always strictly an allergic reaction . In fact, many migraines linked to sugar are actually related more to excessively high or low blood sugar. Diabetics report severe migraines in cases of a “dump” of sugar into the system, bearing out the fact that migraines can be triggered by sugar, even if it is not due to a ‘sensitivity’ as the term is normally used.
Cheese
Cheese in all its forms can be a major trigger for many migraine sufferers . In particular the hard or aged cheeses are more likely to trigger off migraines than soft cheeses like cream cheese and new cheeses.
After reading the above you should have a better idea of how to find and eliminate food or drink migraine triggers from your diet. It can take some time to discover just what it is that triggers off attacks for you personally, but it is well worth the effort in order to gain some relief from migraine.
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