Is there a person on the face of the Earth who has not had a headache? Perhaps a few. Most of us experience an occasional unpleasant episode, banished with no more than an aspirin and a little quiet time. Others—millions of people, mostly women—experience life-souring regular visitations of pounding pain.
Migraines, lasting anywhere from 4 to 72 hours, plunge an individual into intense pain, often accompanied by other symptoms, most commonly nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances, such as light flashes and blind spots.
Medical science does not yet know why some people have only an occasional migraine while others live lives framed by several migraines every month. Doctors do know that genetics, hormones, stress, and certain triggers such as food sensitivities seem to play a role.
Tension headaches, though more common than migraines and typically less severe, also take their toll in pain and lost time.
Treatment for either kind of headache generally consists of painkillers. Those who have frequent headaches sometimes find themselves increasingly reliant on painkillers in order to function. Taking excess painkillers can prove problematic, as it is possible to get rebound headaches when drugs leave the system. Isn’t there anything else that can help?
Many people discover on their own that certain foods can trigger their migraines and other kinds of headaches. The most common culprits are cheese, beer, wine, chocolate, and foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG).
It’s definitely worthwhile to get yourself tested for food sensitivities, according to Rebecca K. Kirby, MD, RD, clinical physician and senior research scientist at The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning in Wichita, Kansas. While food sensitivity testing is not a mainstream treatment for migraines, for Dr. Kirby, “the proof is in the pudding. I’ve found that it helps so many people.”
Eating a healthy diet of more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, and whole grains, while at the same time avoiding any foods that you’re sensitive to, can make a tremendous difference in how many headaches you experience, says Dr. Kirby. There are also a number of individual nutrients and supplements that can be helpful.
One small Belgian study done in 2007 turned up a potential therapy for migraine that is considered safe, but could use more research attention. Alpha lipoic acid, also known as lipoic acid and thioctic acid, is present in every cell in your body and involved in the energy production process. Your body makes its own supply of alpha lipoic acid from the foods you eat, so the fatty acid is not counted as an essential nutrient, but it is a natural substance that your body definitely needs to have in good supply.
For the study, the Belgian researchers, working at five Belgian headache centers, gave either 600 milligrams a day of alpha lipoic acid or a placebo to 54 people who experience migraines on a regular basis. The study lasted for 4 months. In the group receiving the supplement, researchers found a “significant reduction” of migraine frequency, fewer actual headache days, and a reduction in headache severity.
In their published work, the researchers noted, “this study tends to indicate that thioctic acid may be beneficial in migraine prophylaxis.” They stopped short of actually recommending alpha lipoic acid as a treatment for migraine, however, instead signaling the need for more study. Alpha lipoic acid is considered safe, is widely available as a nutritional supplement, and is often recommended for a variety of therapeutic purposes. If you’d like to try it as a migraine preventive strategy, first discuss it with your doctor.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), another nutrient present in every cell of your body and involved in the energy production process, has also shown promise in a couple of studies as a preventive for migraines. In a small 2005 Swiss study, researchers gave 100 milligrams of coenzyme Q10 three times a day or a placebo to a group of people who experienced regular migraine headaches. They found that in the third month of treatment, people receiving the CoQ10 experienced fewer headaches, fewer headache days, and fewer days with nausea.
In 2007, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in Ohio reported similar results when they tested CoQ10 on children and adolescents ages 3 to 22. (They gave the children 1 to 3 milligrams a day per kilogram of body weight.)
Coenzyme Q10, on the expensive side for a nutritional supplement, is considered safe even at much higher levels than those used in these tests. If you’d like to try this therapy, please discuss it with your doctor. It’s especially important to discuss any supplements and dosages given to children with the child’s pediatrician.
Fish oil has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties, and when taken on a daily basis, it seems to help reduce the incidence of migraines. Dr. Kirby recommends taking enough fish oil daily to get at least 1,000 milligrams total of the omega-3s EPA and DHA. Since fatty acid content varies from product to product, you’ll need to read product labels to determine the correct dosage. She recommends taking liquid oil rather than capsules for higher dosages.
One good option, says Dr. Kirby, is cod-liver oil, which has 900 milligrams of EPA and DHA total per teaspoon. Tried cod-liver oil years ago and had a hard time gagging it down? That was then, this is now. Cod-liver oil now comes in orange, cherry, and mint flavors.
Most people simply aren’t getting enough of the essential mineral magnesium. “Seventy-five percent of women aren’t getting the Recommended Dietary Allowance, and some of the guys are just as bad,” says Dr. Kirby. “They’re around 60 percent.” Magnesium is important for muscle function, which is significant because tense muscles contribute to headaches. Magnesium can help muscles stay relaxed, she explains, and taking a magnesium supplement can be helpful for both migraines and tension headaches.
Dr. Kirby recommends taking at least the RDA, which is 400 milligrams daily. Take 200 milligrams twice a day. And if you feel a headache coming on, see the “Mag-C Headache Blocker” box below.
When you feel a migraine or headache coming on, you probably reach for a painkiller to try to head things off at the pass. And that’s fine.
The next time you sense the pain approaching, you might also want to mix yourself a drink from a couple of supplements, says Rebecca K. Kirby, MD, RD, clinical physician and senior research scientist at The Center for the Improvement of Human Functioning in Wichita, Kansas.
Here’s her headache-diminishing recipe: Mix 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C powder and 400 milligrams of magnesium powder into a glass of juice or water. You can buy both vitamin C and magnesium in powdered form, which will get them into your system faster.
Many people find that this supplement drink lessens the severity of their headaches, Dr. Kirby says. It’s certainly worth a try. Note that both viatmin C and magnesium can cause loose bowels, so get a sense of your tolerance level.
The research showing that riboflavin can help prevent migraines is “old and solid,” says Dr. Kirby. Numerous studies have shown that taking this B vitamin in supplement form both decreases the number and lessens the severity of migraines. Interestingly enough, she says, the older research shows that daily doses in fairly low amounts were helpful, while the newer research uses much larger doses. The older research relied on taking doses on the order of 5 to 10 milligrams three times a day. Newer studies are using anywhere from 100 to 400 milligrams a day. Dr. Kirby recommends giving the lower amount a try. Then, if that doesn’t cut back on the number and severity of your migraines, she says, try taking 100 milligrams three times a day.
Alpha lipoic acid** |
600 milligrams |
Coenzyme Q10* |
100 milligrams, three times a day |
Essential fatty acids |
Take enough fish oil to get 1,000 milligrams of EPA and DHA. (Read product labels.)† |
Magnesium |
200 milligrams, twice a day |
Riboflavin |
(For migraines only) 5 to 10 milligrams, three times a day; if ineffective, increase, up to 100 milligrams, three times a day |
At onset of any kind of headache: |
|
Magnesium |
400 milligrams, in powdered form |
Vitamin C |
1,000 to 2,000 milligrams, in powdered form |
*Alpha lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10 have received only modest attention from researchers as a potential therapy for migraines. If you’d like to give these nutrients a try as migraine preventives, please discuss it with your doctor.
†Fish oil has a blood-thinning effect. If you’re taking any kind of blood-thinning drug, talk to your doctor before taking fish oil supplements.