CBNC: ‘There is no true migraine diet,’ doctor says, but these 12 foods can trigger symptoms

More than six million Australians are affected by headaches and migraines, according to Migraine and Headache Australia.

“I get asked all the time about a migraine diet, [and] there is no one true migraine diet,” that can prevent symptoms, says Dr. Fred Cohen, headache specialist and assistant professor of medicine and neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

But “certain foods can trigger [migraine],” and make symptoms worse, Cohen adds.

Here are some foods that migraineurs, people who frequently get migraine headaches, have reported as triggers for migraine attacks.

12 foods that may trigger headaches and migraines

Cohen and Dr. Edmond Ahdoot, a board-certified neurologist, reviewed numerous clinical trials that studied the effects of certain foods on migraine symptoms.

These are the most common self-reported dietary triggers for headaches and migraines, according to a literature review by Cohen and Ahdoot.

“There’s not one specific” food that triggers migraine attacks for everyone who experiences them, but Cohen always tells his patients to “pay attention to [their] diet.”

He advises his patients to keep a headache diary to track when their migraine attacks happen and identify the possible triggers.

“That’s how we figure out what triggers it,” Cohen says.

And sometimes diet isn’t the cause. For “myself, [it’s] flying on an airplane,” Cohen notes.

“That’s why headache diaries are very important [for] finding these kinds of triggers and behaviors that will lead to a migraine attack.”

the 12 most common self-reported dietary triggers

1. Caffeine
2. Alcohol
3. Dairy products
4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
5. Nitrates and nitirtes
6. Citrus fruits
7. Artificial sweetners
8. Tyramine-rich foods
9. Onions
10. Nuts
11. Fermented foods
12. Gluten