Experts note that more than half of their migraine patients experience an over 30 percent decrease in pain simply by changing their eating habits. What’s more, for one-fifth of patients, diet changes can lead to an over 50 percent decrease in migraine attacks altogether. A “type 3” test given to migraine sufferers can identify which foods trigger these painful attacks.Neurological expert Dr. Mustafa Ertaş from the Anadolu Health Clinic notes the strong connection between migraines and nutrition. Dr. Ertaş says migraines can be triggered by many different elements in life, some of which can be controlled, others which cannot. Ertaş says his general advice to migraine patients is that they get regular sleep, eat a balanced diet, not skip meals and not allow themselves to get too hungry. According to Dr. Ertaş, a balanced and healthy diet is the greatest prevention against migraines.
“Of course, foods may not always be the lone cause of migraines. In fact, patients might even be sensitive to compounds that are included in two entirely different foods and meals, which can wind up triggering the migraine together. It really varies from patient to patient; some patients may be aware that their migraines are caused by cheese, while others might not realize that wheat bread is behind their headaches. So the pain keeps coming back,” Dr. Ertaş adds.
Ertaş further explains that the “type 3” test encompasses both foods that are frequently encountered and rarer foods, covering not only basics such as meat, milk, cheeses and seafood, but also yeasts, mushrooms, salads, hot drinks such as tea and the dyes and additives so often found in packaged foods.
