Migraine Headache Diet

Simple Guidelines to Lower Chronic Inflammation and Avoid Pain

If I stick to this Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Lifestyle, I don’t get migraine headaches any more. I can still get a migraine, if I let myself get very dehydrated or drift into carbohydrate excess, but I am shocked when it happens. I can still enjoy chocolate and coffee. Avoiding the headaches is under my control and the diet is healthy and easy to follow.

Chronic Inflammation Is the Foundation for Migraine Headaches

The details and rationale for the Basic Anti-inflammatory Diet and Lifestyle are discussed in many articles on this blog. The guiding logic is that migraine headaches are based on chronic inflammation, although in each individual case there may be specific health problems that contribute and trigger migraines. If the chronic inflammation is removed, then migraines can’t happen or are reduced in frequency and/or severity.

Common Migraine Guidelines Point to Inflammation as the Problem

Feverfew is present on all of the lists of traditional treatments to avoid migraines. Extracts of feverfew contain parthenolide, a sesquiterpene lactone, that has been shown in mouse studies to inhibit activation of NFkB, the inflammation transcription factor. Stress reduction, acupuncture, etc. all point to vagal stimulation to reduce chronic inflammation. I would also recommend that migraine sufferers investigate vagal stimulation exercises to augment the basic diet and exercise to eliminate chronic inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory Diet in a Nutshell

1. Vitamin D -- deficiency is common... even with adequate sun exposure
2. Low carbs -- starch is hyperglycemic, grain gluten intolerance is very common
3. Vegetable oils -- only olive oil is safe (trans fats are dangerous), butter is better
4. Fish oil -- omega-3 oils can reduce chronic inflammation
5. High fructose corn syrup -- eliminate all sources
6. Saturated Fats -- safer than polyunsaturated fats, major source of calories

Typical Meals for a Healthy Head

• Breakfast -- eggs, bacon, sausage, stewed tomatoes, cottage cheese, coffee, yogurt (low sugar, no HFCS) (avoid cereal, pancakes, waffles, toast, etc.)

example: scrambled eggs with sausage, yogurt (unsweetened, blended with fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries, sweetened with honey) coffee mocha

• Lunch -- soup, salad, chicken, ham, tuna, vegetables, modest amounts of fruit, etc. (avoid bread, buns, potatoes, pasta, rice), keep the carbs to less than 50 grams

example: homemade chili with extra ham; thin sliver of toast loaded with feta cheese, broiled and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil; salad with peppers, tomatoes and cubes of jalapeno cheese, olive oil/vinegar, herbs/spices

• Dinner -- fish, meat, vegetables, 50 grams of carbs (avoid grains)

example: broiled salmon with crushed pinenuts, garlic, butter and lemon; sauteed sliced zucchini/miniature squashes; wedges of small potatoes, microwaved ‘till soft and fried in light olive oil and butter; strawberries painted with melted dark chocolate

Why Conventional Diet Wisdom Gives You a Headache

The government food pyramid was designed by the food industry and was never supported by evidence from the biomedical literature. Research shows that saturated fats actually lower heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats in common vegetable oils are a major source of chronic diet-based inflammation. Starch/sugar raises triglycerides, not dietary fats. Grains are a major source of inflammation, because of the high incidence of gluten intolerance, the high content of hyperglycemic starch (even in whole grain breads, etc.) and in the support of gut biofilms based on Klebsiella, a contributor to Crohn’s and other autoimmune diseases. Blood lipid levels were not associated with heart disease and lowering these levels with statins does not improve health. Lowering inflammation uniformly improves health, as well as eliminating migraines.

Anti-inflammatory, Gluten-Free Diet for Celiac

Low Grain Is Good for Everyone

I don’t think that I have an intolerance for grain, i.e. a gluten sensitivity, but it is so common and the biochemistry is so obvious, that it is only prudent to avoid wheat and related grain products. A low or gluten-free diet is also similar to the other common healthy diets, e.g. low carb and anti-inflammatory.

Gluten-free diets came to my attention recently in two ways. First, I saw Food, Inc., a documentary movie about abuses by multinational food processors. After that movie, I felt like I was a goose being readied for foie gras. Second, was a newspaper article on the expense of a gluten-free diet and the challenges of avoiding gluten.

I haven’t had to worry about wheat contaminating my diet, but I am sympathetic to the celiacs that I know who have to labor with a sloppy and exploitative food industry that uses the cheapest ingredients to compose the processed foods that are consumed in modern diets -- processed foods are complex blends of many different potential allergens from innumerable sources throughout the world.

A Celiac Diet Is Good for All
Fortunately, the answer to pervasive gluten is just a modest modification of the basic anti-inflammatory diet that I recommend on this blog. Unfortunately, people who have already developed gluten intolerance, have probably had the problem for years before diagnosis and that means that their intestines have already suffered major physiological alterations and they have problems absorbing nutrients and vitamins. Celiacs also, because of their chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, tend to readily develop food allergies and other autoimmune diseases. The recommended anti-inflammatory diet will help to avoid celiac, put celiacs into remission and avoid development of subsequent allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Vitamin D Is Usually Deficient (and a source of inflammation)
The basic anti-inflammatory diet starts with a return to optimal vitamin D with the use of an initial blood test, followed by high level supplements to reach a suitable level and then maintenance with D3 supplements of usually 2,000-5,000 IU per day. Depending on the D3 supplement, vitamin A will also need to be supplemented, because it interacts with vitamin D. Remember that sunshine is only effective in producing adequate vitamin D if you do not suffer from chronic inflammation. I would assume that all celiacs tend to be vitamin D deficient.

A Low Carb Diet Is Easier for Celiacs
The next component of the basic diet is low carbohydrates, that means a minimum of high glycemic foods, which means to avoid sugar and starch, do not cook vegetables more than necessary and don’t over-chew your veggies. This is good for celiacs, because it reduces the need for common grain foods that no one should eat: bread, cereal, pasta, etc. Everyone should lower their consumption of these wheat products in solidarity for celiacs and for general good health. Cereal is a very bad idea for children!

Most Vegetable Oils Are Unhealthy
Most vegetable oils contribute substantially to world-wide inflammation and celiacs don’t need the added burden of inflammatory omega-6 vegetable oils. Only olive oil and butter should be used. Saturated fats are safer than typical polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Eat Wild Fish or Tons of Fresh Flax
Most people eat too little omega-3 long chain fatty acids, since these are most abundant in fatty fish, such as wild salmon (farmed fish are fed corn and have reduced omega-3 and increased omega-6 fats.) Few vegetable sources are available, since the omega-3 fatty acids are unstable and present in leaves rather than seeds. Flax seeds have short chain omega-3 fatty acids and must be freshly ground and consumed by the cupful, because the conversion to the long chains, in which they are useful, is very inefficient. Most celiacs will need to use fish oil (or krill oil, if fish is not tolerated) supplements (4-8 EPA/DHA capsule per day taken in a meal rich in fats for bile uptake) to balance the ubiquitous inflammatory omega-6 in their diets.

Grassfed Meat/Eggs Are Your Friends
Celiacs should seek out grass/pasture fed meats, eggs and wild caught fish. Corn-fed animals have higher levels of omega-6 fats and these contribute to dietary inflammation. Celiacs can usually eat meat and fish and these are very healthy foods. Red meat was not shown to contribute to degenerative diseases, it was the high carbs eaten with the meat that produced the inflammation that contributed to heart disease. (Remember that statins only decrease cardiovascular disease because they inadvertently lower inflammation, not because they lower serum lipids, LDL.)

No, No’s: HFCS and trans fats
High fructose corn syrup and trans fats are inflammatory and unhealthy for anyone, and should be avoided as much as wheat gluten. Fruits should be eaten as seasoning, since their fructose is not healthy and they also contain ample sucrose.

Most People Would Be Healthier on a Celiac Diet
The anti-inflammatory diet proposed here for celiacs should be uniformly healthy, since it provides optimal vitamins (D, C, B12, etc.), low starch/sugar/carbs, an optimal omega-3 to -6 fatty acid ratio, increased meat and saturated fats, and avoids HFCS and trans fats. The only major adjustment for celiacs would be avoidance of individual food allergens, more attention to vitamin supplements to compensate for poor absorption and replacement of wheat by rice, potatoes, etc. The low carbohydrate nature of the diet makes it more approachable, since typical carbs, such as bread and cereal are avoided and replaced with meat and vegetables.

I look forward to advice and suggestions from readers who have experience with gluten-free diets.

Cure Acne, Back Pain, Tendonitis, Depression

Remedies Include Vicks Vaporub, Castor Oil and Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Simple anti-inflammatory treatments cure some of the most common health complaints. The big question is why people tolerate the problems rather than applying the readily available remedies.

It seems to me that one reason people don’t simply live anti-inflammatory lives and avoid health problems is that attacking the underlying inflammation by approaches that would have prevented the health problem in the first place, is inadequate for fixing the problem after it becomes established.

Health problems based on inflammation may have many different sources of inflammation. Many dietary deficiencies, for example, contribute to inflammation, so what we eat or don’t eat is a major health risk. Other common contributors to inflammation are dental cavities/infections and inadequate exercise.

Common Symptoms of Chronic Inflammation: Acne, Back Pain, Tendonitis, Depression

I have started to ask casual acquaintances if they have any aches or pains, because eliminating dietary sources of inflammation will be evident in relief of these problems. Common complaints are sore joints and tendons related to repeated use. An example is my barber who complained of pain in all of the tendons used to raise his arms to cut hair. Another friend just had her second child and suffered from shooting pains in the tendons of the arm she used to cradle the youngest when she used the other arm on some task.

Simple Anti-Inflammatory Diet Adjustments Get Quick Results

In many cases, a simple change in diet can lower chronic inflammation enough to provide relief from symptoms. Vitamin D deficiency is probably an underlying source of inflammation of most people in the US. So a simple supplement of 2000-5000 IU per day will have noticeable, anti-inflammatory impact on most people.

I recommended vitamin D and fish oil supplements to a friend suffering from chronic back pain. The back pain persisted, but his acne resolved. He stopped taking the supplements, but after physical therapy relieved the back pain, he returned to the supplements as an acne treatment. Now he has long term relief from all of his pains.

Elimination of Dietary Inflammation May Not Resolve Inflammation Based Health Problems

Health problems that start from aggrevated inflammation, may not be eliminated with resolution of the initial cause. My friend’s back ache, for example, didn’t respond to just elimination of deficiencies in his diet. It seemed that the back problems were self-sustaining. After he did exercises to remove the physical aggravation of his back, lack of dietary inflammation prevented the return of the back ache.

Complex Inflammatory Webs

A student of mine suffers from celiac. This is a complex autoimmune disorder of the intestines that is triggered by wheat gluten and is self-perpetuating. Of interest in this context is that celiacs frequently also have back problems. This indicates that the inflammation of the disease is systemic and impacts other tissues. Clearly, reducing dietary inflammation can go only so far in relieving this complex web of reinforcing sources of inflammation.

Simple Anti-inflammatory Interventions

My friend with tendonitis from holding her child got immediate relief from topical application of castor oil and dietary supplements eliminated the problem. Castor oil and capsaicin react with skin heat-sensing neurons to initiate an anti-inflammatory response in adjacent tissue. In a similar way, menthol acts on cold-sensing neurons and relieves pain by reducing inflammation. Vicks Vaporub is a common commercial source of menthol (other sources are blue Listerine mouthwash and Noxema lotion), which give faster relief than longer lasting castor oil for many connective tissue/joint aches. Exercise is another source of relief for inflammation-based aches and pains.

Health: Combinations of Interventions and an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, disrupt the molecular signals that produce inflammation and result in relief from inflammation and pain. The common ailments discussed here respond to anti-inflammatory drugs. Depression was mentioned to point out the psychological dimensions of inflammation. Reproduction/birth is controlled at many points by the processes that we call inflammation and the most inflammatory stage is birth. It is not surprising that disruption of the normally rapid resolution of inflammation following birth leads to postpartum depression. It is surprising that postpartum depression can be relieved by anti-inflammatory drugs.

Fighting Inflammation-Based Diseases

Complex diseases such as allergies, asthma, arthritis, vascular/heart diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, cancers, etc. are all based on chronic inflammation, but they are also self-reinforcing inflammatory diseases. Cures will require elimination of sources of chronic inflammation, e.g. diet, plus disruption of the disease-supporting inflammation, e.g. food/gut flora-stimulation of inflammation of the bowel.

Fundamental to the cure of all diseases is a supporting anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.

More Inconvenient Truths

I am writing this shouting summary of bottom lines in response to recent good news and bad news. The good news is that Michael Pollan is speaking in Boise, near my home town. The bad news is the recent press coverage of the JUPITER study on statins.

Michael Pollan is one of my heros. He speaks simply and clearly about the role of national agriculture policy in promotion of hazardous foods that lead to profits in the healthcare industry, but death and disease for the US population. Pollan also provides wise advice to solve our problems.

A new statin, Crestor, was shown in the JUPITER study to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, e.g. heart attacks, stroke, death, in a study population with normal LDL and elevated C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation. The press supported the drug maker’s interpretation that the statin provided benefit by lowering LDL in a population with chronic inflammation. What is missing is the clarification that lowering LDL is unimportant in reducing cardiovascular risk. Lowering inflammation lowers cardiovascular risk and there are more appropriate ways of lowering inflammation than using very expensive drugs. It is much cheaper, healthier and effective to switch to an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle!

After reading thousands of articles in the biomedical research literature, here are a few of my obvious bottom lines. Diet affects your health and the most fragile stages of development and most fragile organs, are the most sensitive to abuse. Therefore, damaging diets are most harmful to fetuses, newborns, brains, the cardiovascular system and reproductive systems.

• Formula promotes inflammatory bacteria in newborn guts resulting in lower intelligence, disrupted immunity, infections, allergies, obesity, degenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases. Breastfeeding is the only anti-inflammatory answer for infants.
• The US diet (hyperglycemic starch/sugar, high omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio, HFCS, low vegetable anti-oxidants, low vitamin D/sun exposure, low vitamin C, grain-fed meat instead of fish) is inflammatory.
• The Mediterranean Diet (small portions of starch, low omega-6 oils, no HFCS, high vegetable anti-oxidants, routine sun exposure, adequate vitamin C, fish and grass-fed meat) is anti-inflammatory.
• Inflammatory diets lead to infertility (female and male), problems during pregnancy (e.g. preeclampsia is an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency) and prematurity/low birth weight.
• Mental illnesses of many different types benefit from anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. Diet-based brain inflammation may be a major predisposing factor.
• All of the prevailing drug therapies for cardiovascular disease benefit from anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. Most of the drugs that reduce cardiovascular events rely on anti-inflammatory activities. Inflammation is the primary cause of cardiovascular disease, not elevated blood lipids/cholesterol.
• Vegetable oils (corn, soy, cottonseed, safflower) are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and are dangerously inflammatory. These polyunsaturated oils are less healthy than saturated fats. Olive oil is the most healthy.
• Reasonable routine exposure to the sun could eliminate inflammatory vitamin D deficiencies.
• Obesity is inflammatory, but diet-based inflammation may also be a major contributor to obesity.
• Genetic predisposition to specific diseases is triggered by diet-based chronic inflammation.
• Diseases and disabilities associated with aging are symptoms of mismanaged chronic inflammation typically resulting from decreasing muscle mass and increasing fat.
• Sensible diet and lifestyles could dramatically improve quality of life and reduce healthcare expenditures in the US.

Prescription: eliminate vegetable oils, eliminate HFCS, eliminate trans fats, use olive oil, reduce starch, eat vegetables, eat more fish and less meat, get daily sun, use fish oil supplements, get frequent muscle-building exercise, and stay lean.