| As any seasoned migraineur will tell you, they can | | | | at Starbucks has about 60 mg of caffeine. |
| list the migraine food triggers that send them off | | | | Let's talk about the MYTH OF CHOCOLATE |
| into a headache. | | | | causing headaches. Not really true. Nope. Nada. Zip. |
| For me, alcohol is the winner. And I mean just | | | | One recent study suggested that since chocolate |
| about all forms including most wines, beer and | | | | contains copper, it may increase copper levels and |
| mixed drinks. (Hey, the good news is..I will never | | | | then trigger a migraine. However, you would have |
| be an alcoholic. The pain is just not worth it!) | | | | to eat a LOT of it not just a few pieces to cause |
| Funnily enough, when I was young, I thought a | | | | a headache. So why do you get a migraine after |
| horrible pounding headache with nausea and | | | | eating chocolate? Migraines have a pro-dromal |
| vomiting just after drinking a few drinks, was | | | | phase where you "feel" something is coming one. |
| normal! Hmm.. With alcohol, the most common | | | | During this time certain parts of the brain are |
| culprit is red wine. Generally, the dryer and redder | | | | firing off and one of them can stimulate food |
| the wine, the bigger the risk for migraine attack. | | | | cravings, particularly sugar or sweets. Well we all |
| This is due to the amount of tannins in red wine. | | | | loovve chocolate, right? Then after eating it, the |
| Another huge trigger is MSG or monosodium | | | | headache always follows. Hence the assumption, |
| glutamate. This little chemical is a food additive | | | | chocolate causes headaches. So next time, |
| that is a taste enhancer. Unfortunately for some | | | | recognize this, it may be the beginning of a |
| people, even a small amount can trigger a severe | | | | migraine phase. Still doesn't give you or me |
| migraine. Historically, it was used in cooking in | | | | permission to eat a pound of the stuff but you |
| Chinese restaurants here in the U.S., and while | | | | get the idea. |
| many restaurants now claim to be MSG free, I | | | | Additional Migraine Food Triggers: |
| can assure you that some are not! Occasionally, it | | | | Nuts, aged cheeses, foods containing nitrates |
| is still used in salad bars as an enhancer and a | | | | (bacon and lunch meats), smoked or pickled |
| preservative. | | | | foods. Some patients tell me onions are a trigger, |
| What about caffeine? Well, caffeine by itself | | | | as are packaged foods with lots of chemicals. |
| doesn't cause a migraine, but if you have chronic | | | | Some recent studies are now looking at the |
| severe migraines, all caffeine does is make them | | | | effects of gluten or wheat products in the diet |
| worse. It irritates nerve tissue (that would be | | | | and migraine. Aspartame (artificial sweetener) is |
| your brain!) and over time revs up headaches. | | | | also known to trigger migraines. |
| Many people are unaware of just how much | | | | Try to identify those foods that are a trigger |
| caffeine they imbibe on a daily basis. The average | | | | through keeping a diary for at least 90 days to |
| cup (not mug!) of coffee has 107 mg of caffeine. | | | | find your triggers..then avoid them. Sort of under |
| Red Bulls come in at 80 mg per can, Mountain | | | | the old adage of: if it hurts when you do |
| Dew is 55mg. How about the national favorite, | | | | that..don't do that. As your migraines settle down |
| Starbucks? Well hang on: a short coffee is 180mg, | | | | and become less frequent, eventually you will be |
| a tall is 260mg and the grande is a whopping | | | | able to tolerate small amounts of a previously |
| 360mg of caffeine. Oh yes...decaffeinated coffee | | | | identified migraine food trigger. |