Food and drink triggers for migraine headaches

Getting a migraine isn’t like getting a regular headache. While throbbing head pain is part of the package, migraines often come with sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, vomiting, and more. If you experience migraines, you know how intense the pain can be, so preventing them from coming on is key.

Maple‘s a convenient way to get help for your migraines. With Canada’s largest online network of doctors and healthcare providers, our migraine specialist is available for appointments at a time that works for you, and from the comfort of your home. During your consultation, the doctor will evaluate your symptoms and provide strategies for relief, which may include prescription medication to treat your migraines.

While stress and even the weather can be migraine triggers, what you eat and drink can also cause them.Here are the most common migraine triggers and food-related triggers of migraines, so you know what’s safe and what to avoid (for most people).

What’s a migraine?

A migraine, when mild or moderate, is characterized by a progressing dull pain on one side that intensifies over an hour or so and slowly dissipates by the end of the attack. When symptoms are moderate to severe, the pain can become pulsatile and throbbing in nature, and have accompanying symptoms like headache with light, sound sensitivity, and nausea.

There are different types of migraines, but the majority are without aura — meaning they don’t have a sensitivity disturbance before the onset, like seeing black dots, flashes of lights, wavy lines, and more.

The pain from a migraine is usually on one side of the head and can last anywhere from four to 72 hours — sometimes even longer. Migraines are more likely to affect women, especially those in their 30s and 40s. Migraine pain can be aggravated by physical activity, rapid head movements, straining, or light while doing small daily tasks, Brushing your hair, for example, can become an unbearable task if you have a migraine. Most people with migraines find themselves lying in a dark and quiet room. They can be debilitating and even account for seven million missed work days in Canada.

There’s also a genetic component to migraines. If you have a close relative who experiences them, there’s a good chance you will too.

Are migraines serious?

If you don’t get migraines, you may think they’re “just” headaches. But migraines can range in both severity and frequency, and are often debilitating. While some people who experience migraines report infrequent headaches, others find themselves afflicted much more frequently, with a subset reporting daily migraines. While many migraines might last for a few hours, some remain for days at a time. People who experience migraines often report that they’re unable to work, drive or participate in their usual activities when an attack comes on. In fact, migraines are the third leading cause of missed workdays in Canada, coming in after back pain and mood disorders — which they often go hand-in-hand with. 

Are migraines caused by poor diet?

The exact cause of migraines isn’t fully understood and can differ from person to person. Many patients report that certain foods, drinks, or food additives are foods that trigger migraines. More research is needed to confirm just how much diet affects the cause of migraines, but it’s thought that certain ingredients and chemicals in foods are common triggers, like tyramine, sulphites, and nitrites and nitrates.

These chemicals can narrow your blood vessels and increase your blood pressure, prompting a migraine. And many patients with migraines have reported eliminating certain foods did help to reduce the frequency of their migraines, so there’s merit to this theory.

How common are food-triggered headaches?

If you experience migraines, you’ve likely tried everything to determine the root cause. And it turns out that many people who get migraines are pretty sure that what they eat is where they start. In a study of over 1,000 patients with the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 26.9% reported that food causes their migraines. With that being said, the most commonly reported reason for migraines was stress (79.7%), hormones in women (65.1%), and skipping meals (57.3%).

How long after eating a trigger food do you get a migraine?

You might notice your migraine begins after eating a particular food or drink in as little as a couple of hours or as many as 24 hours. This window of time is vast since food affects everyone’s migraines differently. If this happens consistently with that same type of food, it may be one of your migraine triggers.

Can certain foods and drinks trigger migraines?

Many foods and drinks are thought to be foods that trigger migraines, but here are the main culprits on the migraine foods-to-avoid list:

• Chocolate — cocoa and caffeine found in chocolate may cause changes to the central nervous system
• Processed meats — nitrites and nitrates found in processed meats have been shown to dilate blood vessels
• Aged cheese — contains tyramine, which can narrow blood vessels
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) — more research is needed, but many people report that the food additive MSG triggers migraine symptoms. This may be due to the stimulation of nerve cells.
• Alcohol — particularly red wine, contains histamine and tyramine, which can dilate blood vessels.
• Caffeinated beverages — including tea, coffee, and soda, the diuretic effect of caffeine overconsumption leads to increased dehydration, along with its effect on reducing magnesium, which can make it a trigger for some people. Caffeine also blocks adenosine receptors, so when intake is reduced, it may also cause migraines.
• Citrus fruits — oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes release octopamine, which can cause migraines in those with a sensitivity
• Artificial sweeteners — such as aspartame and sucralose lower serotonin and dopamine
• Cold food and beverages — like ice cream or cold water, some people can get migraines due to a cold sensitivity

If you’re looking for food for headaches relief, it’s important to note that not all trigger foods will cause migraines in everyone. So, if you get migraines, you might be able to tolerate common trigger foods like cheese and chocolate.

Additionally, food behaviors can affect how many migraines you get. Skipping meals, caffeine withdrawal, dehydration, and even eating fried food headache triggers can all contribute to migraine onset.

What foods can help with migraines?

On the flip side, some foods may help provide relief when you have a migraine or could prevent one from starting. One study showed that eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, and lower in omega-6 fatty acids — think fried foods like french fries which also contain trans fats — may help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.

Spinach or seeds like pumpkin and chia are also thought to fight off migraines thanks to high levels of magnesium. While more proof is needed, researchers believe that taking a magnesium supplement may reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.

Caffeine, which has also been labelled a migraine trigger, is actually known to relieve migraine pain thanks to its ability to constrict blood vessels. However, people with migraines should drink no more than 200mg daily.

Finally, water is a really good way to help prevent migraines. Dehydration can be a trigger for many, and drinking water has been shown to reduce pain severity, frequency, and duration of migraines.

Are there any diets that can help with migraines?

Along with incorporating the “good” foods listed above, you can also keep a food journal while eliminating items over a few weeks or months to know which foods and drinks are triggering your headaches. If you’re unsure, a dietitian can help you identify the best food for headaches relief tailored to your needs. This doesn’t mean eliminating entire food categories, like whole grains, for example. If you need to remove many foods from your diet, consider working with a dietitian to make sure your nutritional needs are met during elimination. Keeping track of the foods you eat before a migraine attack, along with other triggers like stress, missed meals, and not getting enough sleep, exercise, or water, is also helpful.

Common foods and drinks to avoid or limit include:

• Caffeine (including coffee, soda, and energy drinks — keep consumption to less than 200mg per day)
• Cheese (specifically aged cheeses)
• Yogurt
• Chocolate (milk or dark)
• Citrus fruits
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Dried fruits
• Red wine
• Ketchup
• Processed foods
• Nuts
• Baked goods less than a day old
• Soy
• Aspartame

Research has also shown that focusing on a diet of low-fat, plant-based foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables followed by an elimination diet can reduce the intensity and pain of headaches, while another study showed that a low-glycemic diet could be an effective method to reduce migraine attacks.

Why do I get migraines when I’m stressed or dreading something?

Migraines occur when you can least afford them. Often before an exam, or a major work deadline. Knowing you’re about to spend the next few hours — or more — in intense pain is awful. It’s even more inconvenient when stress is what brought your migraine on in the first place. Why do migraines and stress go together so often?

About 70% of people who experience migraines report stress as one of their triggers, especially when it comes to those experiencing daily migraine attacks. One theory is that the migraine brain is hypersensitive — potentially one of the reasons why light can make a migraine attack so much worse. 

Migraines and stress can often become a vicious circle; stress precipitates migraine, and the migraine episode itself causes more stress. We know that people who experience migraines are more likely to have depression or anxiety, but much like the connection between stress and migraines, it’s unclear how exactly they’re related. In other words, are the anxiety and depression related to the way the migraine brain works, or does living with migraine cause those disorders? Either way, be sure to tell your doctor if you have both migraines and another condition such as anxiety. It’s often beneficial to treat the two in tandem.

How to prevent a stress migraine

The best way to prevent a stress migraine is to deal with your stress preemptively, whenever possible. Start by making sure you’re getting enough sleep. Next, make a list of any potential stressors and see if you’re able to break them up into smaller, more manageable pieces. Set aside time for stress-busting activities like exercise, meditation, and quality, screen-free time with your nearest and dearest. Dysregulation can be a migraine trigger, so sticking to a sleep schedule and eating regular meals made from whole foods is also crucial.

If you feel an attack coming on, you can try to head it off by lying down in a darkened room, or drinking a caffeinated beverage. Once your migraine is in full effect, however, many report that the only thing that offers relief is medication.

How Maple can help with your migraines

Finding your food and drink triggers can help limit painful migraines. But, with so many choices and more research needed, it’s not always easy to protect yourself from throbbing head pain by avoiding certain foods.

Maple’s migraine specialist is a general practitioner who specializes in treating and preventing migraines and severe headaches. During your consultation, the doctor will evaluate your symptoms and provide strategies for relief. This might include prescription medication like topiramate (Topamax) or sumatriptan (Imitrex).

No referral is needed for your appointment, and it takes place over your phone, tablet, or computer, so you don’t have to leave home. If the doctor prescribes medication, you’ll have the option of getting it sent to the pharmacy of your choice or delivered to your door at no additional cost.

Migraines and severe headaches can seriously affect your quality of life. Talk to a migraine specialist online today so you can tackle your migraines head-on.

The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.

When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.