Headaches & Food

JD4b
JD4b Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am curious if any of you have found that you get headaches (more often) after eating certain types of foods? If so, what types of food? Yes, I am aware that headaches can also be a result of stress, being dehydrated & so on... I'm specifically asking about the types of food. Thanks!

Replies

  • tierra85
    tierra85 Posts: 300 Member
    Gluten and too much sugar. My mom has said she avoids chocolate because she says it gives her migraines.
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
    Nope. None at all.
  • ameliad87
    ameliad87 Posts: 66 Member
    Sharp cheddar. :( Super sad cause that's the only way to HAVE cheddar cheese! I have to really ration it.
  • elizabethportman
    elizabethportman Posts: 11
    Researcher stated that riboflavin, or vitamin B2, can help reduce the incidence of migraines by up to 50%. Riboflavin improves your brain’s energy metabolism and its muscle cells, protecting them and helping them maintain energy. Aim for about 400 mg a day in foods like quinoa, crimini mushrooms, asparagus – even a glass of low-fat milk, which is about 30% of the recommended daily allowance.
  • stephb130181
    stephb130181 Posts: 56 Member
    I used to get real bad headaches when I first started this new lifestyle change, but I cut out caffeine and fizzy drinks and barely get any headaches at all.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Too much dairy can trigger migraines for me. Still eat it, just less of it.
  • paymentm
    paymentm Posts: 105 Member
    All the women in my family get headaches from eating artificial red dye, too much chocolate and aspartame. I've cut out red dye and aspartame but in moderation we all still indulge on chocolate.
  • Miss_james1990
    Miss_james1990 Posts: 214 Member
    I get headaches from caffeine, mainly fizzy drinks or things high in sugar x
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • pinkyslippers
    pinkyslippers Posts: 188 Member
    Sharp cheddar. :( Super sad cause that's the only way to HAVE cheddar cheese! I have to really ration it.

    My sister is exactly the same. She gets really bad migraines from it.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I am curious if any of you have found that you get headaches (more often) after eating certain types of foods? If so, what types of food? Yes, I am aware that headaches can also be a result of stress, being dehydrated & so on... I'm specifically asking about the types of food. Thanks!
    Foods can be a trigger for migraines, but which ones trigger which people are different. Chocolate is a common one. I can't remember what else.
  • CCSavage88
    CCSavage88 Posts: 191
    Any aged cheese for me, beer, tomato sauces, garlic are all food triggers for me personally with my migraine.
  • Archon2
    Archon2 Posts: 462 Member
    Sometimes a second glass of dark red wine will kickstart a headache. Don't know why.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    LOL first response goes right to gluten. Didn't see that coming at all.

    Gluten is the new devil food. Its trendy to say that its bad for you and from what I read it makes almost everyone weak and sick.

    Its like poison don't you know!

    On the other hand food manufacturers and making a lot of money by selling gluten free products at a premium.

    Celiac sufferers aside I just cant buy into the propaganda and self diagnosing.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,326 Member
    Dairy, pecans, walnuts, duck eggs and MSG can all trigger migraines for me. A lot of sugar (a binge, in effect) will give me a wicked back of the skull headache.
  • dcnemesis
    dcnemesis Posts: 31
    I literally always have a headache but I never relate it to food though I know its related...

    I'm going to watch for this except my problem is I always seem to have a headache! (not dehydrated,even well hydrated always) but I think mine is a sinus issue...
  • mskeeys
    mskeeys Posts: 6
    Anything with too much sugar! Always, without fail. My weakness is gummi bears which I try to avoid, but sometimes you just gotta give in right? I always regret it later when I have a monster sugar headache.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    A friend of mine gets migraines every time she eats anything with MSG in it. Until we started hanging out, I had no idea how many foods that stuff is hidden in. The only chips she could eat twenty years ago were sea salt and vinegar. Yuck! I don't know if it's better now.
  • DellaWiedel
    DellaWiedel Posts: 125 Member
    A friend of mine gets migraines every time she eats anything with MSG in it. Until we started hanging out, I had no idea how many foods that stuff is hidden in. The only chips she could eat twenty years ago were sea salt and vinegar. Yuck! I don't know if it's better now.

    MSG causes migraines for me too, and yes, it's in SO many things. I have to be very careful what I eat.

    For the OP, here's a list of common migraine triggers: http://uhs.berkeley.edu/home/healthtopics/pdf/triggers.pdf

    The list is pretty extensive. The best way I've found is to keep a food diary (which is one reason I started on MFP, not just to lose weight) Then you can see if there is a pattern to what you eat and when you get headaches. Every person is different, so what's fine for me might not be for you. So I wouldn't just stop eating something just because other people have had a bad reaction. I would say to track your symptoms, then if you find a common thread, cut that food out and see if it helps.
  • JD4b
    JD4b Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks Yall! I appreciate the insight.... I think you might be right on a lot of the suggested food types!

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