“ You can’ t remove one trigger and have [ headaches ] go away. A true migraine condition can’ t be fixed with the removal of food.”
cups of home-brewed coffee), you increase your migraine sensitivity.
According to Dr. Freitag, people often get into trouble with caffeine because they don’ t realize all the foods that contain it. Clear, non-cola beverages, for example, can contain high levels of caffeine. So can over-the-counter headache remedies, such as Excedrin ®. If you increase your caffeine use over time, you also increase your risk of developing headaches. Caffeine withdrawal is another major headache trigger. People who consume coffee regularly during the week but skip or delay drinking it on the weekend can end up with a massive headache on their days off.
Gluten Gluten-free foods are all the rage these days due to a heightened awareness of the public’ s widespread sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Although people with an autoimmune disorder called celiac disease have a true allergy to gluten( there is a formal test to determine if you have celiac disease), many migraineurs say a gluten-free diet reduces the frequency of their headaches.
“ There are some people who have sensitivity to gluten and report that their headaches get better without it,” Dr. Halpern says. Still, she cautions, a gluten-free diet is unlikely to be a magic cure.
TAKING CONTROL A true migraine condition is the result of genetics and physiology. Although watching your diet can help you manage your headaches, food should never be seen as the sole cause.
“ You can’ t remove one trigger and have the condition go away,” Dr. Halpern says.“ A true migraine condition can’ t be fixed with the removal of food.”
But that doesn’ t mean learning whether you have food triggers is a waste of time. Knowing and avoiding the foods that set you off“ is an important way to take control over migraines,” Dr. Halpern says.
Here’ s the good news: The best way to identify food triggers is also the simplest.“ Keep a good log of your headaches and diet,” Dr. Vargas advises.“ If you feel there are specific dietary triggers, find out if there is a true relationship.”
Monitoring food intake over time and reviewing your food diary with a health care professional can be very useful in treating migraines.
But, Dr. Halpern says, following a daily fresh food diet could do more for your overall health and migraine condition than focusing too heavily on a particular food trigger.“ Cook your own meals, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables,” she says.“ You may eliminate potential food triggers without even knowing it.” HW
32 HEAD WISE | Volume 1, Issue 1 • 2011