The Link Between Certain Foods and Migraines

More than one billion women, men, and kids suffer from migraines worldwide. If you’re one of them, your symptoms could include the classic excruciating headaches, sensitivity to light, and even nausea and vomiting. 

Migraines can be so debilitating that they interfere with your ability to work, go to school, and complete your daily tasks. The chronic pain and debilitation of migraines can affect your mental health, too, leading to consequences such as anxiety, feelings of isolation, and depression. 

If you’re plagued by migraine attacks, you should consult a pain expert to help you discover some of your personal triggers and obtain a customized treatment plan. 

Medications and chiropractic treatments can both reduce the severity of a current migraine and prevent the recurrence of another. However, you can also make adjustments in your lifestyle that may help lessen the number and severity of attacks. One of the most effective ways to manage migraines is to manage your diet. 

At Addison Pain + Regenerative Medicine in Addison, Texas, our medical professionals encourage you to take charge of your health and migraines by getting the medical assistance you need. We also help you improve your overall health and reduce migraines with diet, exercise, stress reduction, and sleep optimization.

Why do certain foods trigger migraines, and what should you eat instead? While each individual is unique, the following gives you basic guidelines to help you find — and avoid — your own food triggers.

Ultraprocessed foods

Most ultraprocessed foods, while convenient and tasty, provide too many calories and inadequate nutrition. In addition, they contain ingredients that have been associated with triggering migraines, such as nitrates in hot dogs and cold cuts. Another trigger is monosodium glutamate, which is often found in Chinese food and may be listed as “natural flavor” on many other types of packaged foods.

The first step in improving your diet to help with migraines is to avoid overly processed foods, including fast foods and packaged foods, and stick to fresh, whole ingredients whenever possible. The fewer ingredients on the label (if there is a label), the less likely the food contains a triggering ingredient.

Foods high in tyramine

Tyramine is a chemical that naturally occurs when the amino acid tyrosine breaks down. Even though it’s natural — and won’t be listed as an ingredient on any food — tyramine can trigger migraines.

Foods high in tyramines tend to be aged or fermented. Tyramine levels rise as foods age, so leftovers or items that aren’t freshly prepared can contain higher amounts.

Avoid or minimize:

• Fermented or pickled foods
• Olives
• Soy or teriyaki sauces
• Aged cheeses, including Parmesan and Swiss
• Nuts and seeds
• Chocolate

Some people also report migraines from citrus, dried fruit, or sourdough, but these are not tyramine‑related triggers.

Coffee affects people differently. Some find caffeine helpful, while others find it triggering. Tracking your personal response is more reliable than following a universal limit. Alcohol is a common trigger for many people with migraines, so minimizing or avoiding it may help reduce attacks.

Avoid food high in histamines

Although fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits are all better choices than any processed foods, you may have to avoid some otherwise healthy items, too. That’s because some foods are high in a substance called histamine, which is linked to allergies. 

In fact, if you have allergies, you may notice that an allergy attack can lead, either directly or indirectly, to a migraine attack. Avoid foods that are high in histamines, such as:

• Alcohol
• Cured meats
• Canned fish and meats
• Aged cheeses
• Dried sausages (i.e., salami, pepperoni)
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Spinach
• Mushrooms
• Bananas
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Citrus
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Legumes (i.e., beans)

Some foods don’t contain high histamine levels but can trigger histamine release in sensitive individuals.

Not all of these may be your triggers. That’s why it’s helpful to keep a food diary that also tracks your migraines and work with a medical professional to ensure you eat a balanced diet while managing your migraines. 

Some safe foods to start with

If avoiding long lists of foods seems overly complicated, you could start with a diet that focuses on foods that tend to be migraine-safe. Then, eventually, add a few of your favorite natural, whole foods one at a time to see how you tolerate them. Safe foods include:

• Fresh meat and chicken
• Eggs
• Some fresh fish, including trout and hake
• Fresh non-citrus, non-tropical fruits (except strawberries and cherries)
• Fresh vegetables (but no tomato, eggplant, or spinach)
• Herbal teas
• Grains and grain-based products 
• Honey
• Sheep or goat milk
• Cold-pressed organic vegetable oils
• Fresh milk and cheese (i.e., not aged or fermented)

You don’t have to figure out migraine prevention on your own. Get help through supportive treatments and lifestyle adjustments — including diet— and stay pain-free by calling our team at 972-380-0000 or requesting a migraine appointment online.