What foods cause migraines? Does food cause migraines? Honestly, there is no easy way of telling. But yes, the simple and short answer is that the food in your diet can cause headaches, migraines and a wealth of other symptoms. Today’s article is all about migraines, but there are a variety of other intolerance symptoms your diet may be causing. Read on to see what foods could cause migraines.
What foods cause migraines?
Everyday Health thinks that there are certain foods that cause migraines. This could be true, but in our experience, it depends on the person. We’ve put together a list of five likely foods to cause a headache or migraine. See if any of these are in your diet and let us know. You’ll recognize the first one for sure!
1) Too much Caffeine causes headaches
We’ve all heard of withdrawal symptoms from caffeine. The boss is usually quoted with ‘don’t talk to me without my morning coffee’. But sometimes, too much coffee could actually be a bad thing. From a mild headache to an actual migraine, caffeine intolerance is incredibly popular. The issue with caffeine in this instance, however, is that it can also stop an oncoming headache. This comes from the American Migraine Foundation, so is something to consider.
One other thing about caffeine, people forget that chocolate actually contains it. You’ll need it energy-wise but just try to watch your intake. Working from home can lead to a lot of coffee consumption due to boredom. Keep an eye on that as well.
2) Can you have an intolerance to alcohol?
Don’t roll your eyes here. You can have an intolerance to alcohol. And no, it is not always just a hangover! There is plenty of research into what food migraine triggers and alcohol is one of them. Migraines are often bought about by red wine as well, who knew? Furthermore, alcohol can cause dehydration. This will lead to headache and is often the cause of a hangover.
We’re not telling you to give up alcohol. But if it is something you have an intolerance to, you need to trial it. Keep a diary. Note down when you have alcohol and when you do not. Then monitor your migraines. There should be a correlation if alcohol is the cause of your migraines.
3) Foods which are frozen
This one actually makes sense and shouldn’t strike you with fear. You don’t have to give up your favorite food! Interestingly, frozen foods and ice creams can cause severe migraines and headaches. Consider brain freezes. They are like a short stabbing pain in your head and can be the onset of other symptoms.
In fact, Healthline noted that you are more likely to experience migraines and headaches if you’re eating frozen food having just done some exercise, or you have overheated it. Frozen foods don’t just cause headaches though, they have also been attributed to another food intolerance symptom – diarrhea.
4) Why so salty?
Ahhh, another annoying cause. Yes, foods containing salt are also a likely cause of headaches, especially salty processed foods. A migraine can be caused when someone consumes a high level of sodium, increasing their blood pressure. Does food cause migraines? For salty foods, the answer is a firm yes.
Next time you have that hamburger, consider the salt in it. Same with alcohol. Do you need it? Is it worth it? The answer is probably yes but you should at least think about it. If you are not sure whether that food is right for you, a food intolerance test can help.
5) Which foods cause migraines? – Meat is one!
How upsetting is this? Rest easy though, we are mainly talking about cured meats. These include ham, hot dogs and mustard, as well as sausages. This is sad but you need to know in case it is causing your migraines. This is because these meats contain preservatives which are not good for your body.
So, does food cause migraine? At US Food Intolerance we have tried to answer this as easy as possible. But the answer is yes. There are foods which are likely to trigger a headache or your migraines. You can find out which foods could be causing your symptoms of intolerance by trying out a food intolerance test!