Q: Why do carbs and sugar give me
headaches?
اضافة اعلان
It’s common for people to notice a headache coming on after
eating certain foods, and foods high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, like
chocolate cake or pasta, are among the usual suspects. Such food triggers are
often reported by people who have migraines, said Dr. Peter Goadsby, a
professor of neurology at King’s College London and the University of
California, Los Angeles. “The person that’s asking this question, pounds to
pennies, has migraine,” he said, particularly if certain foods seem to be
repeat triggers.
Unlike the more common tension-type headaches most people get
from time to time, migraines — which affect an estimated 18% of women and 6% of
men each year in the United States — are much more debilitating, said Dr.
Rashmi Halker Singh, an associate professor of neurology and a headache
medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In one review of studies published in 2018, researchers
concluded that nearly 30% of patients reported that certain foods or eating
habits triggered their headaches. But recent research by Goadsby and others
suggests that it’s most likely not the foods that cause migraines, but rather
it’s the migraines that cause people to eat certain foods.
In the initial stage of a migraine attack — the premonitory or
prodrome phase, which can begin a few hours to days before the headache phase
hits — people may experience symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, mood changes,
light sensitivity, muscle stiffness, yawning and increased urination, Goadsby
said.
During this time, brain imaging studies have shown that the
hypothalamus, a region of the brain that regulates hunger, is activated,
causing people to want certain foods. “It is pretty clear that this area is
changing in its activity before the pain starts,” he said. Some people want
savory or salty snacks, while others crave sweets and chocolate.
Then, after they’ve indulged their craving and the headache
phase of the migraine begins, it’s natural for people to wonder if something
they ate contributed to the pain, Halker Singh said. “Sometimes people come in
and tell me, ‘I had some chocolate, and soon after that, my migraine attack
started,’” leading them to guess that the chocolate itself triggered the
headache. But what also could have happened, she said, “is that maybe the
craving for chocolate was actually the start of the migraine.”
Chocolate is among the most reported food triggers for migraines,
but in one review of studies published in the journal Nutrients in 2020,
researchers concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to say that chocolate
can cause migraines.
In the above scenario, Goadsby said, the person would have probably gotten a headache
whether they ate the chocolate or not. So if you’re craving a treat during the
early stages of a headache, he said, it’s fine to enjoy it.
If you often get food cravings before migraine headaches, it’s
still a good idea to take note of them, along with other prodrome phase
symptoms, so you can prepare for what’s coming. You might use that time to find
your migraine medication and opt for an early bedtime, he said.
Margaret Slavin, an associate professor of nutrition and food
studies at George Mason University, said that foods high in sugar or refined
carbohydrates can also cause blood sugar to spike, leading to “an outsized
insulin response.” Insulin helps normalize blood sugar, but too much insulin
can overshoot the goal, leading to low blood sugar. This condition is called
reactive hypoglycemia, and a headache is one of its symptoms, along with
feeling weak, shaky, tired and lightheaded.
For people who get migraines, it’s also possible that regularly
following a diet high in refined sugar and processed carbohydrates might
increase inflammation levels in their body and make them more susceptible to
attacks, Slavin said. There is some limited research to support this idea, and
it may be worth trying to cut back on added sugar in favor of anti-inflammatory
foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains and fish.
Skipping meals and fasting are also commonly reported migraine
triggers, so Halker Singh advises her patients to eat regular, nutritious
meals, in addition to getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and managing
stress.
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