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Foods Every Migraine Sufferer Should Stay Away From



If you’re looking for migraine relief in Manila, this blog will come in handy for you. In 2012, about 17.6% of Filipino women and 5.7% of Filipino men had migraines. This figure has continued to increase over the years.

Particular foods and beverages may trigger episodes of migraines. To help you dodge a migraine attack, we advise that you keep a journal and list down the foods you eat and beverages you drink. That way,  you can identify your triggers and avoid them. Here are some of the most common categories of food triggers.

1. Chocolate

Chocolate has caffeine, which is a key ingredient for migraines. Medicines that contain caffeine can be beneficial for headaches and migraines. However, when you take these medicines while consuming caffeine from other sources such as chocolate, you are more prone to getting a rebound headache or migraine. Chocolate also has phenylethylamine, a substance that may change blood flow in the brain. These alterations in blood flow can initiate a migraine attack. 

2. Cured Meats 

Hot dogs, sausages, and some kinds of bacon are some examples of cured meats. This food category can lead to migraines. How come? To preserve the color and flavor of cured meats, as well as to combat bacteria growth in the food, manufacturers put a substance called nitrites in it. This preservative can release nitric oxide in the body, that may result in the widening of the blood vessels. Since blood flow to the brain affects migraine episodes, this explains the link between cured meats and the development of migraines. 

3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) 

This food additive is a popular ingredient in Asian dishes, but it is also present in just about every processed food you can purchase at the grocery, such as chips, barbecue sauce, processed meats, and salad dressing. MSG is a flavor enhancer, and we use it far more extensively than we should. 

How can MSG potentially lead to a migraine? MSG may cause blood vessels to contract, reducing the blood flow in the body. It may also increase your blood pressure. Some researchers also say that MSG can prompt the release of nitric oxide in the body, which is a trigger for migraines. The combination of these factors supports the potential for MSG to spark migraines in people who are already vulnerable to have them.

4. Caffeine 

Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in coffee, tea, and chocolate. Soft drinks, energy drinks, and other beverages also contain it. Surprisingly, even skin care products such as lotions, body washes, and face scrubs have caffeine. Caffeine does absorb through the skin. So if this is a migraine trigger for you, you may need to check how much caffeine is in the products you use. 

Caffeine can change blood flow in the brain, which can bring on migraines. If you take a cup of caffeine-rich coffee before bed, it can lead to insomnia, lack of sleep, and restlessness — all of these are migraine triggers.

Additionally, if you have been caffeine dependent for a while, withdrawal from it can also lead to migraines. Thus, you may find that you need a certain amount of caffeine to prevent migraines, but that you must limit your intake to not ingest too much.


To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and headaches download our free e-book Natural and Drug-Free Ways to End Your Migraines by clicking the image below.

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More Foods That Can Trigger Migraines

To add to the list of migraine triggers above, here are a few more that migraine sufferers should avoid.

  • Fatty foods

  • Citrus fruits

  • Artificial sweeteners

  • Aged cheeses 

  • Food dyes

  • Ice cream and other frozen foods

  • Allergenic foods


How to Cope with Migraine Food Triggers

The good news is you can avoid food triggers. Your migraine diary can help you identify certain foods or beverages that can be potential migraine triggers. Remove these foods from your diet to see if your migraine episodes will decrease. If you eliminate foods that you assumed were triggers but still get just as many migraines, it could be that the food was not a trigger after all. Migraines are notorious for causing food cravings in the hours before an episode. As a result, many people mistakenly classify the food as a trigger rather than the craving for it as an indication that a migraine is coming on. 


Get Migraine Relief in Manila Naturally

While avoiding trigger foods and anything that you are allergic to or sensitive to is one way to keep migraines at bay, there is another natural method that can potentially decrease the severity and frequency of your migraines. We want to introduce you to upper cervical chiropractic care, a subspecialty in the chiropractic profession that has been changing the lives of many headache and migraine sufferers in case studies. 

When either the C1 or C2 vertebra (located at the base of the skull) misaligns, the function of the central nervous system and blood flow to the brain can be negatively affected. These are two known major triggers of migraines. Thus, it is definitely worth the time to explore this option, especially if you have any history of neck or head trauma. To get more information about how upper cervical chiropractic care works, contact us here at N8 Upper Cervical in Makati, Metro Manila.  


To schedule a consultation with N8 Upper Cervical Chiropractic clinic, call (02) 8553-6218 or just click the button below.

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If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Chiropractor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.