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Can Diet and Food Improve Migraines and Chronic Headaches
The National Headache Foundation suggest a well balanced diet can help you control headaches. They recommended 3 meals a day and healthy snacks with fiber and protein. If you take prescription medication or over the counter medications for headaches you may benefit from a low tyramine diet.
You will find that food can cause headaches. The headache will happen in 30 minutes to 72 hours. When you use a daily food dairy to keep track of what you eat and when your headaches occur this will help you pinpoint which foods might be the trigger.
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Food That Cause Headaches and Other Triggers
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Some foods trigger headaches easily. These foods are alcohol, red wine, chocolate, caffeine in coffee, tea, and soda, sulfites in food, raw onion, MSG, aspartame, aged cheese, citrus fruits, juices, carbonated beverages and fermented foods.
Skipping meals and eating the wrong foods can cause a headache. That is because it cause a change in the blood sugar levels. Fasting for long periods of time can cause headaches. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame can elevate amino acids in the brain causing headaches Red wine has compounds that trigger migraines in some people.
Other headache triggers are lack of sleep, stress, nuts, milk, and processed meat. Dietians and doctors have found some diets help with headache symptoms. These diets are:
Low Fat Diet
Ketogenic Diet
Atkins Diet
Low Sodium Diet
Low Tyramine Diet
Some dietitians say that you can prevent headaches through the right food choices. The recommend eating regular meals, healthy snacks with protein, and fiber, and restricting food that trigger headaches. Before going on any diet check with your doctor or healthcare professional. They may be able to refer you to a dietician or nutritionist that can help you.
Low Tyramine Diet For Headaches
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This diet allows you to eat the following items:
Fresh, meat, poultry ,and eggs
Canned and frozen foods
Milk
Fresh cheese, soy milk, and soy cheese
Bread, dry cereal and pasta
Vegetables
Fruit
Homemade soups
Caffeine free beverages
Oil and fats
spices
herbs
What to Avoid
Heavily salted deli meats salami, pepperoni, and liverwurst
Hotdogs, bacon, ham, bologna, and corned beef
Aged cheese
Sour dough bread
Pickles, fermented foods, and fava beans,
Nuts
Soy products
Alcoholic beverages
Limit citrus fruits to 1/2 cup a day
Two site to check for recipes and guidelines are The Dizzy Cook Recipes For Migraines and Headaches
Migraine Strong Education, Strength and Hope
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References
National Headache Foundation
Experts Perspectives Is There Such a Thing As a Migraine Diet? By Jillian Kubla, Registered Dietitian, and Deena E. Kuruvilla M.D. board certified neurologist and headache specialist Medical News Today April 2022
Low Tyramine Diet For Individual with Headaches or Migraines-The Headaches Organization
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