Get Migraines? Eat This

For 37 million people in America, a headache isn’t just a headache. Instead, the pain can actually feel so much bigger than that, and may even seem skull-crushing. “It feels like a knife is stabbing you deep in your brain or like something is constantly pounding inside your head,” says Lori-Ann Hart, 36, who’s suffered weekly migraines since age 11. “It hurts so bad it makes me nauseous and I actually want to cry. If my kids weren’t around I would cry, but I don’t want to scare them.”

Many migraine sufferers often describe their attacks as causing throbbing, pulsating, debilitating headache pain that can last hours or days. And the frequency, intensity, symptoms, and triggers of migraine vary from person to person.

For 90% of those affected, migraines interfere with their work, school, and personal and social activities, according to the American Migraine Foundation.

“Migraines literally ruin two days of my week,” Hart says. “Sometimes when it hurts so bad, it actually interferes with being able to sleep.”

But despite being the third most prevalent illness in the world, there’s still a lot we don’t know about migraines. “It is vastly underrecognized, underserved, and undertreated,” says Noah Rosen, MD, a neurologist with Northwell Health. “Only in the past five years or so have we had specifically designed preventive medications and treatments for this headache disease.”

The idea that nutrition affects migraines is nearly ubiquitous—most regular migraine sufferers have at least one food that triggers their migraine, ranging from coffee to red wine, chocolate to citrus fruits.

Yet, few studies have shown the effectiveness of dietary interventions for migraine. “People have tried to control migraines through diet for a long time, but the data has been quite sparse,” says Rosen.

That’s why recent findings that a dietary change may actually reduce the frequency and severity of headaches have generated great excitement among researchers and sufferers.

In a clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, 182 people who regularly experience migraine followed a 16-week diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, or fish oil, while limiting food sources that are high in omega-6 fatty acids, such as many vegetable oils. Encouragingly, those participants reported shorter and less severe headaches.

“The reduction in headache days per month is impressive, but this was a relatively small study,” Rosen says, adding, “I would like to see more.”

The study reported that a diet lower in vegetable oils and higher in fatty fish, “produced between 30% and 40% reductions in total headache hours per day, severe headache hours per day, and overall headache days per month compared to the control group.” Additionally, blood samples also showed lower levels of pain-related lipids. However, despite experiencing less headaches and pain, these same participants reported only minor improvements in migraine-related overall quality of life compared to the control groups. “That’s somewhat distressing since the impact on general quality of life is what we’re looking for,” Rosen says.

Still, the study shows encouraging data that the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids, which have long been known to benefit cardiovascular health, may have potential beneficial effects as migraine treatment. Meanwhile, omega-6 fats tend to have the opposite effect in studies, promoting pain and inflammation.

Whether you get migraines or not, Rosen says it’s a good idea to incorporate fish at least twice a week in your diet, a recommendation made by both the American Heart Association and Alzheimer's Association.

“Think about it, all of us are at risk for heart disease and Alzheimer's,” Rosen explains. “We know that women with migraines have a higher risk for heart disease. Taking that all into account, regardless of the effect on migraines, there is good evidence for everyone to have a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.”

An easy way to increase the amount of omega-3 fatty acids you consume is by eating fatty fish like sardines, anchovies, salmon, albacore tuna, and trout; however, if you don’t eat fish or worry about potential mercury toxicity, fish oil supplements can help you get enough omega-3s. There is no official recommended daily allowance for EPA (eicosapentaenoic) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both omega-3s, but the consensus from health organizations is that 250 to 500 mg of combined EPA and DHA is enough for most healthy people.

While omega-3 sources are better from the sea than the land, for vegetarians, good plant sources of omega-3 fats include ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.

Supplements are only loosely regulated by the FDA, so beware that half of what’s sold on the market do not have what the label says it contains, Rosen cautions. When shopping for fish oil, you’ll want to choose a clean, sustainable supplement product that’s third-party tested for purity, potency, safety, and stability.

For fish oil that’s reasonably priced and good quality—and without the fishy taste and odor—Rosen recommends Kirkland fish oil, a Costco brand supplement. “I’m a big believer in big box brands,” he says. “Costco produces a lot of supplements and they’re known to do good quality control.”

There’s limited evidence that other nutrients may also help reduce the severity or frequency of migraine episodes, including riboflavin (vitamin B2), coenzyme Q10, magnesium, and melatonin. But if you’re open to exploring other potential migraine remedies, Rosen recommends specialized pharmacies like Ctrl M Health supplements, which are appropriately sourced.

The bottom line: It’s your whole diet that matters, not just one nutrient. “An overall healthy diet is key, especially when obesity is a risk factor for migraine,” Rosen says. Eating foods like seafood, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and plant-based fats not only gives you rich sources of omega-3s (and lower amounts of omega-6s) but also other vitamins and antioxidants as well.

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