Nutrition intervention for migraine: a randomized crossover trial

Abstract

BackgroundLimited evidence suggests that dietary interventions may offer a promising approach for migraine. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a low-fat plant-based diet intervention on migraine severity and frequency.MethodsForty-two adult migraine sufferers were recruited from the general community in Washington, DC, and divided randomly into two groups. This 36-week crossover study included two treatments: dietary instruction and placebo supplement. Each treatment period was 16 weeks, with a 4-week washout between. During the diet period, a low-fat vegan diet was prescribed for 4 weeks, after which an elimination diet was used. Participants were assessed at the beginning, midpoint, and end of each period. Significance was determined using student’s t-tests.ResultsWorst headache pain in last 2 weeks, as measured by visual analog scale, was initially 6.4/10 cm (SD 2.1 cm), and declined 2.1 cm during the diet period and 0.7 cm during the supplement period (p=0.03). Average headache intensity (0–10 scale) was initially 4.2 (SD 1.4) per week, and this declined by 1.0 during the diet period and by 0.5 during the supplement period (p=0.20). Average headache frequency was initially 2.3 (SD 1.8) per week, and this declined by 0.3 during the diet period and by 0.4 during the supplement period (p=0.61). The Patient’s Global Impression of Change showed greater improvement in pain during the diet period (p<0.001).ConclusionsThese results suggest that a nutritional approach may be a useful part of migraine treatment, but that methodologic issues necessitate further research.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT01699009 and NCT01547494.

The Effect of Lifestyle Modification Program on Reducing Migraine Disability Among Migraineurs Suffers

“…Another study by In concordance with the findings reported by Bunner et al in Washington [4]and Ladson et al, in Saint Louis [20]; reported that regular sleep, meals, and exercise; stress reduction can improve migraine severity and frequency.…”

“…Migraine is a recurrent, severe, and throbbing headache, and recurrent episodic attacks, which have the potential to headaches with moderate to severe pain, often having a unilateral location and pulsating quality, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia [4], [5]. The frequency and severity of headaches can progress over months or years to chronic migraine, in which attacks tend to occur for at least 15days in a month [5], [6].…”

“…Migraine medications have an important role in reduce severity and frequency but are limited in effectiveness while carrying side effects that may include cardiovascular risks and headaches due to medication overuse [4]. This approach of treatment made, indirect cost and reduced productivity of patients with a migraine are considerable and exceeds that of those who are not afflicted with such disease [7].…”

Influence of pro-algesic foods on chronic pain conditions

“…However, this study lacked a normal diet control group, so it is unclear how big the effect of simply being placed on a diet might have been, especially given the large placebo effect often seen in headache prophylaxis studies [59]. A more recent study using a similar low fat diet approach, failed to find any effect of the diet on the intensity, frequency or duration of migraine headaches [60]. At present, the effect of lowering arachidonic acid intake on migraine headache or rheumatoid arthritis pain appears modest, at best.…”

Metabolic Syndrome in Migraine Patients: Recent Findings and Treatment Approach

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