MIGRAINE AND DIET

ELIMINATION DIETS

The use of elimination diets in migraine is controversial and has never been proven to be of value. Now and again someone benefits from them, but most migraine sufferers do not. In addition, they are difficult to adhere to and nutritionally inadequate.

DIETARY TRIGGERS

Between 15% and 20% of migraine sufferers have dietary triggers, but the majority do not. Certain foodstuffs contain chemicals that can trigger off a migraine attack in susceptible individuals - these same chemicals do not affect non-migraine sufferers. This means that migraine sufferers have some underlying condition that makes them susceptible - if this underlying problem is successfully treated (and in most migraine sufferers this can be done without the use of drugs), then consumption of the dietary triggers no longer brings on a migraine.

Please click on the link for a fuller explanation of the difference between triggers and causes.