Guest post by Ariana Cruz
Headaches are one of the most common ailments people experience. Since there are so many reasons why someone can get a headache, it’s really hard to figure out the exact reason(s) why. Although it’s fairly common knowledge that there are some foods that tend to trigger headaches, we thought it would be a really great idea to go over some of the more common, as well as some of the not-so common, food-related triggers.
Top 5 Foods Known to Trigger Headaches
1. Cheese – Aged cheeses tend to be high in tyramine, which is created during the breakdown of protein when certain foods are eaten. For this reason, it might be best to avoid aged cheeses for a while to see if this is the food that might be triggering your headaches. This includes Swiss, cheddar, brie, feta, mozzarella, and processed cheeses, just to name a few. (Other foods that include tyramine that should be avoided are red wine, pickles, olives, onions, raisins, avocados, just to name a few.)
2. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – Often found in soy sauce as well as a number of other foods, MSG can cause not only headaches but cramps and diarrhea, too. MSG is a food additive, which should be avoided whenever possible.
3. Processed Foods – Because processed foods use so many ingredients that aren’t actually food, it is believed that foods like hot dogs, bacon, and lunch meats may trigger a headache. Nitrates are not good for you anyways, and since processed foods are full of nitrates it’s best to avoid processed foods all together.
4. Alcohol – Well, it’s mainly red wines that get the blame for headaches. Although the reason for this was once linked to the sulfites that are added as a preservative, new studies no longer believe this to be true, mainly because white wine has more sulfites than red and we rarely hear about white wine headaches.
5. Cold Foods – Eating very cold foods can trigger a headache, and we’re not talking about those annoying brain freezes that often occur when eating a really cold food such as ice cream. Try to avoid eating super cold foods for a while to see if that helps to reduce the frequency of your headaches.
Good to Know
Headache symptoms can include more than a throbbing and painful head. If you begin to experience any of the following symptoms about 20 to 25 minutes after eating, the cause of your headache may be from one of these foods that were recently eaten: pressure or a feeling of tightening in your chest or face, feeling your face redden, feeling dizzy, and abdominal discomfort.
Bottom Line
If you tend to get a lot of headaches, it’s a really great idea to make a list of the foods you’re eating so you can try to make a connection between the foods you eat and your headaches. If you still can’t quite figure out the cause of your headaches, you have the option to consult with a chiropractic neurologist, who can lead you towards a headache-free life.
Author
A former headache sufferer, Ariana is writing on behalf of Brown CNC, a chiropractic neurology clinic in Lakewood, Colorado focused on obtaining results with supportive care for complex neurological, nutritional, and endocrinology disorders. Visit their site at http://www.browncnc.com/
Filed under: diet, Guest posts
