BMJ teaches you how to get rid of headaches: what to eat to relieve migraines

The study, published in BMJ, measured the effects of diet on the frequency and severity of migraine headaches in American subjects over a 16-week period

The diet of the first group of subjects was rich in fatty fish and low in linoleic acid (a polyunsaturated fatty acid usually made from corn and soybeans)

The diet of the second group of subjects was rich in fatty fish and linoleic acid, while the third group ate high-linoleic, low-fat fish foods to simulate the level of the ordinary American diet

Participants were asked to monitor the number of days, duration, and intensity of their migraine headaches

At the beginning of the study, participants had headaches for 16 days a month, with headaches exceeding 5 hours per day

Subjects on a high-fat fish and low-vegetable oil diet reported that the total headache time per day was reduced by 30% to 40% a day

Blood samples from this group showed lower levels of lipids associated with pain

Luigi Ferrucci, NIA's scientific director, said: "This study found interesting evidence that dietary changes may improve chronic pain such as migraines without having to take drugs regularly

Nervous system diseases are the most common cause of chronic pain, reduced working hours, and reduced quality of life

More than 4 million people worldwide suffer from chronic migraine, and more than 90% of patients cannot work or function normally during the attack

Chris Ramsden, one of the main researchers of the study, said: Changing diet can relieve migraines in millions of Americans

• Migraine with aura, with specific warning signs before the migraine starts

• Migraine without aura is the most common type, and there are no specific warning signs when migraine occurs

• Migraine aura without headache-there is an aura or other migraine symptoms, but it does not develop into a headache

  
  

Although there is currently no cure for migraine, there are many treatments that can help relieve symptoms

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen can help reduce symptoms

Anti-disease drugs can also successfully treat migraines in some people

If the medication is inappropriate or does not help prevent migraines, the NHS recommends acupuncture as an alternative treatment

Data shows that up to 10 courses of treatment may be beneficial over a period of 5 to 8 weeks
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