Migraine Triggers:

Foods that Trigger Migraine Headaches

Someone wanted to know what common foods can trigger off migraine attacks, and it may be worth listing them on the board too for all, since migraines are so common today. But, trigger foods are not the be all and end all of the matter, because there are stress links as well as emotional inputs, hormonal influences, and some medications as well.

The commonest foods which can cause difficulty (but sometimes what affects one person is fine for another) include

• peanuts and peanut butter
• caffeine in all products, not just coffee
• dairy products
• yeast
• some beans (which includes peanut), as well as broad, lima, Italian, lentil, soy, peas
• avocados
• dried meats
• sauerkraut
• pickled herrings
• canned soups and packet soup mixes
• chicken livers
• ripe banana
• soya products as well as the bean itself
• sodium nitrate, which is used to preserve hot dogs, bacon and cured meats
• the preservative benzoic acid and its associated compounds
• MSG, common name for monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer which is now in almost universal use in almost all processed foods
• nuts
• sourdough breads
• cheeses which have been aged, i.e. cheddar
• red wines, beer, champagne, vermouth
• chocolate
• anchovies

And if the list seems depressingly long, there are other food triggers as well, but the good news is that most of the list comes from the highly processed and manufactured food products so aren't too difficult to identify, test, and eliminate from the diet.