These Foods Might Trigger A Migraine

Are you a migraine sufferer? I know I am. When I was younger and a lot more unfit, I got them a lot more frequently, and the intensity was debilitating. However, once I cleaned up my lifestyle, they became less frequent and severe. Nevertheless, I still get them once in a while, and there are some triggers.

Truth be told – no one knows for sure what causes migraine headaches. The current accepted knowledge is that many small annoyances contribute to it until it reaches a tipping point. Ask any sufferer and they will tell you about it. Today we will be focusing on food – because believe it or not, it can be a key trigger!

The first thing on my list is red wine. Now, I know that for a fact when I was younger, but since I haven’t had any in ages, I don’t know how much it still applies. When I was young, my dad, who also frequently gets migraine, raised me to not drink red wine. Ever since then, I have gone out of my way to avoid it.

Cheese is a major trigger for many sufferers. Many of these people would say that specific categories of cheese are guilty of causing it. They say that the most likely varieties hard or aged cheeses.  Soft cheeses like cream cheese and new cheeses seem to be fine and unlikely to cause problems. Personally for me, it’s never been a trigger. Yet again, it could be because I don’t really vary my cheese intake, and elect to keep it simple instead.

Have you heard of nitrates? These are simple or complex compounds with a core that has the chemical element NO3(2-), and is known to be a trigger. Sorry to break the news, but the most common source of nitrates is processed meat, items like hot dogs, sausage, bacon etc. And yes, bacon! You read that right! Fortunately, I’m a vegetarian at the time of writing, so I’m unaffected by it anyway.

Just when you think you are safe avoiding specific food groups – think again. Apparently, certain condiments and spices can contribute to migraines. So if you decide to have some salad, the accompaniment might be the thing that gets you in trouble. Personally, I have never had trouble with this, unless I take monosodium glutamate (MSG), which unfortunately is common in Asian food.

So that’s all for today. As I have mentioned, the list of triggers are different for each sufferer. If you suffer from migraines, I feel your pain. If not, then you had better thank God for your good fortune in this area. But make no mistake about it – it is not just food being the trigger. For me, even things like weather or temperature changes can set it off. Don’t forget to check out the resources below if you are a sufferer.

While we have no specific links for migraines (as those we checked out didn’t seem to pass the reviews tests), here are some other links for you: