5 Migraine-Triggering Foods to Avoid

If you’ve ever experienced the throbbing pain of a migraine, you’ll likely do anything to prevent triggering one. Although the root cause of migraine pain remains unclear, there are known triggers, including foods that you can avoid to protect against head pain and other migraine symptoms.

New Tampa Interventional Pain and Sports Medicine takes a patient-centered approach to managing severe or recurrent migraines.

Jose De La Torre, MD, and our pain management team work to find the source of your migraine. They collaborate on a treatment and preventive care plan to keep you migraine-free. Your plan may include diet changes to eliminate migraine-triggering foods from your diet.

Below, we outline a few common foods that can trigger migraine to give you a starting point in migraine prevention.

5 foods that may be contributing to your migraine

Though not all people with migraine respond in the same way to certain foods, it’s worthwhile to consider if your diet includes the following substances known to play a role in migraine attacks.

Here are five foods associated with migraine:

1. Artificial sweeteners

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are common migraine triggers. These substances are found in many processed foods and beverages, so it’s important to read labels and learn how to identify aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and other artificial sweeteners.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol contains histamines and other compounds that can trigger a migraine. Migraine sufferers report that red wine is a leading cause of alcohol-linked migraine attacks.

Limiting alcohol may be beneficial to migraine prevention and also supports a healthier lifestyle.

3. Cured meats

Preservative-laden meats like ham, sausages, and hot dogs contain nitrates to maintain flavor. Nitrates release nitric oxide into the bloodstream, which dilates vessels in the brain and can bring on a migraine headache.

4. Fermented foods

Fermented foods like sauerkraut, aged cheeses, and kombucha contain high amounts of tyramine, a chemical formed during the digestion of foods.

Even though fermented foods offer other health benefits, those with migraine may need to limit how much they consume to avoid headaches.

5. Caffeine

Caffeine is a migraine trigger in some people, especially those who consume a lot of caffeine regularly. You might also be prone to a migraine attack if you suddenly stop due to the effects of caffeine withdrawal.

Interestingly, caffeine may also be a source of pain relief in some people with migraine. The use of caffeine during an active headache can stop an attack from progressing.

Take steps to eliminate what’s not working

Plenty of information is available online about special migraine diets you can follow, but not all recommendations are reliable or relevant to your specific health needs.

Dr. De La Torre and our pain management specialists suggest eliminating certain foods from your diet for a period of time to see how your body responds. Use a journal to track what you’re eating to identify patterns linking foods to migraine pain.

We also provide treatment strategies, including medications to ease the pain of existing migraine and Botox® to prevent recurrent migraine pain.

Call New Tampa Interventional Pain & Sports Medicine in Wesley Chapel, Florida, today to schedule a pain management consultation for migraine. You can also book an appointment online.