Migraine Headaches are influenced by Lack of Nutrients.

If you suffer from persistent migraines, the severe pain can greatly affect your quality of life.

However, studies suggest that taking supplements could help ease some of the discomfort. Which supplements might be beneficial? Here is what I found out...

Is Your Headache a Symptom of Something More Serious?

Migraine headaches could indicate a potential risk: A study carried out at Charité-Universitätsmedizin, a university hospital in Berlin, Germany, shows that women who suffer from migraines are more likely to experience heart attacks and strokes as they get older.¹

The German researchers point out that one out of five women experiences migraines. By analyzing health data from more than 115,000 American women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study, the researchers looked into the connection between migraines and cardiovascular problems.²

Researcher Tobias Kurth cautions, “Women diagnosed with migraines had a 50% higher risk of developing cardiovascular events.” Compared to women without migraines, those with migraines had a 39% higher risk of heart attacks, a 62% higher risk of strokes, and a 73% higher risk of angina.

These significant increases in serious health conditions highlight the importance of migraines as a health issue.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital suggests that many people suffering from migraines have deficiencies in vitamin D, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and CoQ10, an essential nutrient for producing cellular energy.³

This study involved examining blood samples from individuals prone to migraines who were patients at the hospital’s headache center.

The analysis showed that women with migraines are more likely to lack CoQ10, while men with migraines are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D. Moreover, individuals with chronic migraines are more likely to have deficiencies in CoQ10 and riboflavin compared to those with episodic headaches.

Episodic migraines involve 14 or fewer headaches per month, while 15 or more headaches per month are considered chronic migraines. Personally, I would be worried if I had six or seven headaches monthly.

Supplements Can Offer Relief

Considering these findings, it is not surprising that researchers at a headache clinic in Taunus, Germany, have found that dietary supplements can help alleviate migraines.⁴

This German study involved 130 participants experiencing three or more migraines per month. The participants were given supplements containing 400 mg of riboflavin, 150 mg of CoQ10, and 600 mg of magnesium. Previous studies had found deficiencies in these nutrients among individuals with migraines. Additionally, the participants took a multivitamin-multimineral supplement.

After three months, the participants reported a decrease in migraine pain and the stress related to headaches, although complete relief was not achieved. The only side effects reported were abdominal discomfort and diarrhea, likely due to the magnesium supplements, which can act as a laxative and vary in sensitivity among individuals.

Improving Pain Relief with Green Light

Migraine headaches often lead to extreme sensitivity to light, causing many people to seek relief in dimly lit settings.

However, a study at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston shows that a specific type of light – green light – can significantly reduce this sensitivity known as photophobia.⁵

Researcher Rami Burstein, the academic director of the Comprehensive Headache Center at Deaconess, explains, “While photophobia may not be as incapacitating as headache pain itself, light intolerance can be disabling.” More than 80% of migraine attacks are worsened by light sensitivity, prompting many sufferers to find comfort in darkness and avoid daily activities.

The researchers discovered that, on average, green light reduced migraine pain by 20%. One possible reason is that green light triggers smaller neurological signals compared to red and blue lights, which stimulate larger signals in the retinas of the eyes and the brain’s cortex.

It's important to mention that the study at Deaconess used special light bulbs emitting what the researchers called “pure” green light, so regular green light bulbs may not produce the same results. Nonetheless, incorporating strategies like green light exposure and supplements is worth considering as they may offer effective pain relief.