Calling a migraine a headache is like calling Mount Everest a hill. The migraine experience is far beyond a regular headache’s pressure, throbbing, or pounding. The awful combination of intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and debilitating neurological symptoms can turn an ordinary day into a marathon of misery.
Globally, migraines rank as the second leading cause of disability, right behind low back pain. And migraines are also muscling their way up to one of the top reasons for missing work.
While migraine medications can offer some relief, they’re far from perfect. Because they don’t always help and bring unwanted side effects of their own, many people wish they could find more natural ways to manage their symptoms and triggers.
Of course, there is an avalanche of purported migraine cures and treatments on the internet! The problem is separating proven remedies and lifestyle changes from treatments that don’t work but are peddled to people desperate for relief.
In this article, we’ll explore types of migraines, potential causes, and natural migraine remedies that can help alleviate symptoms and sometimes prevent them entirely.
What Are Migraines?
Unlike common tension or sinus headaches, migraine headaches represent a complex neurological disorder. They’re characterized by episodes of moderate-to-severe head pain. The fascinating part, scientifically speaking, is that they typically occur on just one side of the head.
In fact, the name “migraine” comes from the ancient Greek word for “half the head” — hemicrania. (The French dropped the “he” at the beginning and softened the K to G, giving us “migraine.”)
In addition to that half-headed pain, migraines can also feature nausea, vomiting, mood changes, extreme fatigue, changes in speech patterns (including slurred speech and, in some cases, the inability to form words), and hypersensitivity to sensory input such as light, noise, and odors.
Migraines typically progress sequentially. There are four named stages of migraines: prodrome, aura, headache, and postdrome (although only about 25% of migraines include the second stage, the aura).
- Prodrome: This stage involves subtle warning signs like mood changes, food cravings, or fatigue occurring hours or even days before a migraine.
- Aura: Visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or zigzag patterns, and sensory or speech changes that precede or accompany the headache characterize this stage. There may also be motor, brainstem, or retinal disturbances.
- Headache: The main phase involves intense, throbbing pain on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
- Postdrome: Following the headache, this stage leaves people feeling drained and exhausted, sometimes with lingering symptoms like confusion or moodiness.
Two other migraine types worth mentioning are chronic and probable migraines. A chronic migraine is defined as a headache that occurs on 15 or more days in a month for more than 3 months. A “probable migraine” is a headache resembling a migraine in many aspects but lacking some specific criteria necessary for a definite migraine diagnosis.
What Causes Migraines?
While the causes of migraines can vary from person to person, there are some common triggers, including stress, certain foods, dehydration, hormonal changes, and environmental factors.
Some people find that their episodes are triggered by low blood sugar and/or skipped meals, not enough sleep, and consumption of alcohol or tobacco.
Of course, listing triggers is not the same as explaining the root causes (if I were trying to impress you, I’d use the fancy medical term “pathogenesis”).
We know that migraines involve multiple nervous system components, including the peripheral and central nervous systems. The working theory is that their origin lies in some kind of neuronal impairment that causes inflammatory signals in the brain, similar to what happens with epilepsy. While researchers are exploring these pathways, we’re far from understanding how they function and how to influence them in helpful ways.
Natural Ways To Treat and Prevent Migraines
Migraine medications can be helpful, but they don’t always work. And they all come with a range of potential side effects, including (ironically) more frequent headaches due to medication overuse.
Fortunately, over the past couple of decades, science has amassed evidence that lifestyle and dietary interventions can effectively treat and sometimes even prevent migraines.
This is not a one-size-fits-all matter, however. If you suffer from migraine symptoms, the first step in getting long-term relief is to identify your specific triggers. Based on those, you can begin implementing changes that have been found, in many cases, to make a positive difference. As we’ll see, specific foods (especially ginger!) could be the most significant factor in your control, so we have a section on it later.
1. Sleep Hygiene
Not getting enough quality sleep is a significant risk factor for getting a migraine. A 2022 study found that people who had trouble sleeping were nearly four times more likely to have migraines than those who slept well.
The association goes in both directions since a bad migraine can make sleep almost impossible. Even in the immediate absence of symptoms, anxiety about getting a migraine can keep people staring at the ceiling and counting porcupines instead of getting shuteye.
For more information on hacking your sleep, check out our article: How to Sleep Better with Diet and Lifestyle.
2. Hydration
Another natural way to prevent migraines is to stay well-hydrated.
A 2020 study compared migraine frequency and symptoms in women aged 18 to 45 who were visiting neurology clinics for the first time to get a migraine diagnosis. Researchers found that women who drank more water experienced less severe migraines and had fewer headache days. What’s more, their headaches didn’t last as long as those who drank less water.
For more about how hydration affects your health, read our in-depth article, Quench Your Thirst: The Science and Benefits of Proper Hydration.
3. Stress Management
Many migraine sufferers start getting prodrome symptoms following a period of chronic or acute stress. Major life stressors can transform migraines from episodic to chronic, keeping people at or close to their personal “red zone” all the time.
By stress, I mean specifically an elevation of blood levels of “fight-or-flight” hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. That physiological response to a perceived threat is critical to survival. But when it’s triggered multiple times a day and never gets balanced by “rest-and-digest” relaxation from the parasympathetic nervous system, it can lead to symptoms that have no — or negative — survival value.
Some researchers consider migraines a maladaptive brain response to perceived threats. That means that stress isn’t solely a feature of the environment but includes your perception and interpretation of what’s happening around you. But that’s good news because while you can’t always change your environment, you have much more control over your internal state.
Studies show that stress management is an effective way to get natural migraine relief.
A 2020 study found that different kinds of training, including standard stress management (relaxation exercises, time management, cognitive reframing) and mindfulness meditation, reduced migraine frequency in volunteers who experienced episodic migraines.
And a 2022 meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials found that yoga significantly reduced how often migraine sufferers got headaches.
4. Acupuncture
Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that acupuncture can be more effective than standard care or placebo treatments in reducing migraine frequency and severity. It works by calming overactive brain regions and improving blood flow, offering a natural alternative for those seeking non-pharmacological options.
5. Regular Physical Activity
Exercise can also reduce migraine frequency.
A study of over 20,000 participants found that light exertion — without sweating or getting out of breath — was most beneficial for migraine relief.
Researchers aren’t yet sure what the exertion threshold is, however. A later study found that heavy exercise, especially endurance activities like long-distance running, could trigger migraines in some sufferers.
However, a 2023 review of therapeutic recommendations published in the Journal of Headache Pain listed both “light and moderate-intensity continuous aerobic activity” as generally protective against migraines. In particular, yoga decreased pain intensity, frequency, duration, and disability related to migraines.
6. Vibrational Therapy
Some individuals have found relief using vibrational therapy devices. While more research is needed, early findings suggest potential benefits in migraine management.
7. Supplements: Vitamin D and Melatonin and Butterbur
Supplementing with Vitamin D and melatonin has shown promise in reducing migraine frequency, particularly for individuals with deficiencies. Butterbur, specifically the Petadolex formulation, has been shown to reduce migraine frequency by 48%. It’s crucial to use purified, PA-free extracts to avoid liver toxicity.
8. Dietary Adjustments
Diet is a major trigger of migraines in a lot of people. Alcohol and caffeine are the most common diet-related triggers associated with an increased frequency of migraine attacks. Others include processed foods, monosodium glutamate, chocolate, dairy, and citrus.
Many people have allergies and sensitivities to other foods and substances that can also trigger painful migraines.
One way to identify potential food culprits is an elimination diet. Consult with your health care team before trying an elimination diet, as it is not meant to be a long-term solution.
Here’s how an elimination diet usually goes:
- For two weeks, remove all potential trigger foods and eat solely from foods on a “pain-safe list.”
- After two weeks in that restrictive lane, reintroduce the possible trigger foods one at a time, paying attention to any negative reaction.
- Eliminate trigger foods from your diet.
The National Headache Foundation specifically recommends a low-tyramine diet for migraines. The rationale behind this approach is that the amino acid tyrosine causes migraine symptoms when it breaks down into tyramine, which causes vasoconstriction and a rebound effect on blood vessels in the brain.
Most foods high in tyrosine are aged, fermented, or stored for long periods. Cheeses are particularly high in tyrosine, while fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables, top the list of safe foods on a migraine diet.
Plant-Based Diets and Migraines
Whole plant foods are high in anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, which can combat the processes leading to migraines.
A 2024 study explored whether following a diet rich in whole plant foods could influence the chances of having migraines.
Researchers compared the diets of 500 adults with newly diagnosed migraines to those of similarly matched healthy people, looking closely at their diets using a detailed food questionnaire. They found that eating plenty of vegetables, beans, and whole grains seemed to protect against migraines. Remember those elimination diets we talked about a little while ago? The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine conducted a study that found a plant-based diet combined with an elimination diet reduced migraine pain by 35% compared to when the participants took placebo pills.
However, not all whole plant foods are protective, so the study included an elimination period to remove corn, wheat, and nuts from the volunteers’ diets.
The most beneficial plant-based foods for migraines include the most colorful vegetables. Green vegetables, in particular, contain two compounds that bind with a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide, limiting its ability to trigger migraines.
A more recent 2023 study also found that people who followed a healthier, plant-based diet had fewer headaches than those who didn’t.
Specific Foods for Migraines
There are also specific anti-inflammatory foods that may act as natural migraine remedies, reducing symptom frequency and severity.
Ginger for Migraines
Ginger appears to be the most potent food for stopping migraines.
A 2020 review of the scientific literature found that taking ginger right after the first symptoms of migraines relieved the pain within two hours. Ginger also lessened the risk of accompanying nausea and vomiting.
Ginger powder (1 gram, which is about ½ teaspoon) has even been shown to be as effective in treating migraines as a billion-dollar migraine drug, sumatriptan — commonly sold as Imitrex — but without the side effects (which include dizziness, a sedative effect, vertigo, heartburn, and whatever you feel while taking a pill that costs $38 a pop).
For more on ginger and migraines, check out our article, You Won’t Believe How Powerful Ginger Can Be for Fighting Migraines Naturally.
Green Leafy Vegetables
A 2021 case study examined whether the Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE) diet, rich in dark green leafy vegetables, could reduce migraines. Researchers studied a man who had suffered from migraine pain for over 12 years and for whom medications, elimination diets, and lifestyle approaches like meditation and yoga had not worked. Within two months of adding a green smoothie and copious amounts of raw and cooked leafy greens per day, his migraine frequency dropped from almost daily to just one per month. And after three months, his migraines stopped completely. He stayed migraine-free for over seven years!
Why might the LIFE diet and other ways of eating that include lots of leafy greens be so effective? One theory is that sufficient magnesium in the body can protect against migraines. Magnesium-rich leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard can help people consume enough of this crucial nutrient.
But leafy greens have so much more to offer than just a single nutrient — they’re incredibly complex factories producing thousands of beneficial compounds in just the right proportions. So, rather than try to identify a single factor (and then consuming it as a pill), I’d recommend embracing leafy greens and enjoying the mystery of why they’re so good for you.
Discover more about leafy greens and how to source, wash, store, and prepare them.
Nuts and Seeds
Thanks to their high omega-3 content, which can combat inflammation in the body, omega-3 rich nuts and seeds may help to lower the risk of migraines. Be careful, though: some people find that nuts and seeds, especially those that are rancid or have been roasted in unhealthy oils, can trigger their migraines.
Recipes to Help With Migraine Relief
Enjoying plant-powered foods is a delicious and natural way to support migraine relief, thanks to ingredients that calm inflammation, boost circulation, and keep energy steady. These recipes for migraines bring together fresh, vibrant flavors and cozy, nourishing comfort, making it easy to eat in a way that fuels your body and supports your brain. From zesty salads to soothing bowls, every bite is packed with feel-good nutrients to help you thrive.
1. Berry Delicious Omega-3 Smoothie Bowl
This Berry Delicious Omega-3 Smoothie Bowl isn’t just a refreshing treat. It’s packed with brain-boosting ingredients that may help prevent migraines! Blueberries and strawberries provide powerful antioxidants, while hemp seeds, flax meal, walnuts, and chia seeds deliver a rich dose of omega-3s. All of these ingredients are linked to reducing inflammation and migraine frequency.
The smoothie bowl is also topped with crunchy coconut flakes and more omega-3-rich seeds, providing a nourishing way to support brain health while enjoying a delicious, fruity start to your day.
2. Rainbow Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
This Rainbow Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing is a feast for the eyes, containing migraine-fighting goodness in every bite! The zingy carrot-ginger dressing brings a refreshing kick, while miso and tahini add a boost of magnesium — a key player in keeping headaches at bay.
Crunchy kale, beets, and radishes support healthy blood flow, and creamy avocado helps keep blood sugar stable, reducing potential migraine triggers. Topped with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and optional miso chickpeas, this salad is a delicious, feel-good way to nourish your body and your brain.
3. Soothing Ginger and Mushroom Congee
This Soothing Ginger and Mushroom Congee is like a warm hug for your brain — gentle, nourishing, and packed with migraine-fighting goodness.
Creamy, slow-simmered rice helps keep energy steady, ginger eases pain and nausea, and garlic supports circulation. Magnesium-rich bok choy helps relax blood vessels, reducing migraine triggers. A splash of tamari and rice vinegar adds a savory kick. And the toppings — green onions, sesame seeds, or lime — let you add a touch of flavor and texture.
Whether you seek relief or a cozy bowl of comfort, this Chinese-inspired congee has you covered!
Natural Remedies Can Help With Migraines
While medication can provide some relief for migraines, many people are discovering the benefits of a more holistic and natural approach to managing migraines.
Focusing on lifestyle habits such as stress management, hydration, sleep hygiene, regular exercise, and diet can address some underlying factors contributing to migraines. In particular, a plant-based eating pattern rich in anti-inflammatory and nutrient-dense foods nourishes the body and offers a natural way to potentially reduce migraine frequency and severity.
As we’ve seen, foods like leafy greens and, perhaps most significantly of all, ginger may be just as effective for combating migraines as commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals.
As research continues to unveil the connection between diet and migraines, embracing a plant-forward way of eating may offer a path to lasting relief — one that nurtures your noggin and overall health.
Tell us in the comments:
- Do you get migraines?
- What natural remedies have brought you relief from migraine pain and other symptoms?
Featured Image: istock.com/fizkes
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