Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated : February 27, 2017 10:07 AM IST
A migraine headache which as accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound can last for several hours to days. If you are finding a way to deal with the pain and also reduce its frequency, including a few foods in your diet will help you do so. So follow these tips from Delhi-based dietician Dr Anita Gupta.
Eat spinach: Yes Popeye ate it for energy, but you need to eat spinach for its high folic acid and vitamin B content. A study published in the journal Headache found that people who increased their intake of folic acid and vitamin B experienced an improvement in their migraine symptoms [1]. So whether it is steamed, cooked, or fresh try to include spinach in your meal. A few more sources of vitamin B include mushrooms and eggs. You can use cabbage leaves for relief from a migraine headache.
Snack on steel cut oats: Drop in blood sugar levels can not only be a trigger for migraine sufferers, but it can also make a migraine headache worse. So eat foods with a low glycemic index like steel-cut oatmeal and oat bran to maintain steady blood sugar levels.
Load up on cashews and almonds: Magnesium can also help relieve the symptoms a migraine headache suggests a study published in the journal Cephalagia [2]. So eat a lot of cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds to get relief.
Have more mackerel and salmon: Another study published in the journal Headache suggested that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in omega-6 fatty acids has been found to lessen the frequency and occurrence of migraine headaches [3]. So make sure you are getting enough omega-3 from fishes like mackerel and salmon.
Last but not the least; stay hydrated to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches. Drink a lot of water and also snack on foods with high water content like watermelon, cucumber, pears and apples. Here are the top 10 triggers of migraine headache.
References:
[1] Menon S, Lea RA, Ingle S, Sutherland M, Wee S, Haupt LM, Palmer M, Griffiths LR. Effects of dietary folate intake on migraine disability and frequency. Headache. 2015 Feb;55(2):301-9. doi: 10.1111/head.12490. PubMed PMID: 25598270.
[2] : Peikert A, Wilimzig C, K hne-Volland R. Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study. Cephalalgia. 1996 Jun;16(4):257-63. PubMed PMID: 8792038.
[3] Martin VT, Vij B. Diet and Headache: Part 2. Headache. 2016
Oct;56(9):1553-1562. doi: 10.1111/head.12952. PubMed PMID: 27699772.
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