How to get rid of a headache: Avoiding these types of food could help to reduce symptoms
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Headaches can be debilitating and sometimes impacts one’s life negatively. Some people are far more susceptible to headaches than others. When it comes to food and diet, experts advise avoiding histamine-rich foods.
In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, histamine-free diet in supporting treatment for chronic headaches was investigated.
The study noted: “Food rich in histamine or red wine may cause allergy-like symptoms such as sneezing, flush, skin itching, diarrhoea and even shortness of breath.
“The suspected reason is a diminished histamine degradation based on a deficiency of diamine oxidase.
“As diamine oxidase cannot be supplemented, a histamine-free diet was implemented to reduce histamine intake.
“These data indicate the role of histamine in food and wine intolerance and that histamine-rich food causes a worsening of symptoms in patients suffering from chronic headaches.
“Results obtained support the hypothesis of a deficiency of diamine oxidase in patients with intolerance to food or wine.”
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Cluster headache refers to the characteristic grouping or clustering of attacks, said the National Headache Foundation.
The health site continued: “Cluster headaches may also be known as histamine headache, red migraine, Horton’s headache, and cephalalgia or sphenopalatine neuralgia.
“The headache periods can last several weeks or months, and then disappear completely for months or years leaving considerable amounts of pain-free intervals between series.
“Substances that cause blood vessel swelling can provoke an acute attack during a series period.
“Nitroglycerin or histamine, smoking or minimal amounts of alcohol can precipitate or increase the severity of the attacks as the sufferer’s blood vessels seem to change and become susceptible to the action of these substances.”
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Histamine-rich foods are:
- Alcohol and other fermented beverages
- Fermented foods and dairy products, such as yoghurt and sauerkraut
- Dried fruits
- Avocadoes
- Eggplant
- Spinach
- Processed or smoked meats
- Shellfish
- Aged cheese
There are also a number of foods that trigger histamine release in the body, such as:
- Alcohol
- Bananas
- Tomatoes
- Wheat germ
- Beans
- Papaya
- Chocolate
- Citrus fruits
- Nuts, specifically walnuts, cashews and peanuts
- Food dyes and other additives
“The scientific evidence for histamine and the use of DAO is not there and this is why it is not currently used in the UK or suggested in the NICE, BASH or SIGN guidelines for the treatment of migraine,” explains Dr Katy Munro, Headache Specialist at the National Migraine Centre.
However, while small in scale, a few studies have suggested links between histamine and migraine. These could provide new treatment options that might reduce the reliance on traditional medication and its potential side effects.
“Studies have not quite caught up with anecdotal evidence and in the UK, we have a strong history of evidence-based medicine, for good reason,” says nutritionist Emma Wight-Boycott. “This means that we may sometimes need to prescribe before a huge body of evidence is available here.”
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