Health experts are calling for more research into diet and migraines, as doctors phased out plant-based diets altogether after experiencing severe and debilitating headaches for more than a decade. did.
He tried prescribed medication, yoga, and meditation in an effort to reduce the severity and frequency of his severe headaches, and cut out potential trigger foods — but nothing worked. He said the migraine made it nearly impossible to do his job.
But within a month of starting a plant-based diet that included lots of dark-green leafy vegetables, his migraines disappeared. The man hasn’t had a migraine for more than seven years, and he doesn’t remember the last time he had a headache. The matter was registered in the magazine BMJ case report,
Doctors treating photographers in the US suggested that it may be worth adopting a plant-based diet to ease chronic migraine symptoms.
But other independent experts cautioned that since the report was a single case, it was impossible to generalize the finding and should not be taken as a solution for all people with migraine.
More than one billion people worldwide experience migraines. The report’s authors said that although medications can help prevent and treat them, a growing body of evidence suggests that the diet may also offer an effective alternative without any of the side effects associated with certain drugs.
Writing in BMJ Case Reports, the 60-year-old patient, whose identity was not disclosed, said: “Before I changed my diet, I suffered six to eight debilitating migraines a month, each I lasted for 72 hours. Lasted. Most days, I was either getting migraines or getting better from one.”
After 12 years of migraines, nothing made a difference. “I was desperate,” he said.
Six months before being referred to the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in New York, the man had chronic migraines that occurred between 18 and 24 days out of every month.
“However, within a month of starting a nutrient-dense plant-based diet that primarily consisted of dark green leafy vegetables, fruits, beans, oatmeal, and a daily green smoothie, I was able to stop both drugs. Was able to close.
“Now the migraine medications are off, and I haven’t had a migraine in seven years. I can’t even remember the last time I had a headache. I’m no longer a prisoner of my body. My life is back.”
The report’s authors advised the man to adopt a low-inflammatory, everyday (life) diet, a nutrient-rich, whole food, plant-based diet.
This includes eating at least five ounces (142 grams) by weight of raw or cooked dark green leafy vegetables per day, drinking 32 ounces (946 ml) of green smoothies daily, and eating whole grains, starchy vegetables, oils, and animal proteins. . with limited intake. , especially dairy and red meat.
Within two months, the frequency of her migraine attacks had dropped to just one day a month. The length and severity of the attacks were also reduced. Three months later, his migraines stopped completely. They haven’t returned for more than seven years.
Professor Günter Kühnle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading, who was not involved in the case, said: “This is a case report and therefore it is impossible to generalize the finding. Migraine is a debilitating condition and it is treatable. and can be managed. Finding ways to do this is important. Diet can play an important role in the management of many diseases, and certain foods are known to trigger migraines.
“Bioactive compounds found in dark green leafy vegetables and other foods may have an important role in the management of many diseases, but to make definitive statements and recommendations, more research is needed.”
Dr Duane Melor, a registered dietitian and senior teaching fellow at Aston University’s Medical School, said the report was “interesting” but “cannot be taken as a solution for all people with migraines”.
“The diet used was largely in line with the dietary recommendations of many countries and included eating more vegetables – particularly dark green leafy vegetables.
“The problem with these types of reports is that there is no control or comparison intervention, it could be an effect of the diet that was started, but it could also be a reaction to something they are no longer eating. ” Whether only behavioral effects could lead to a reduction in migraine due to dietary changes.”
A separate analysis published Thursday in the BMJ Global Health journal shows that the global increase in the red and processed meat trade over the past 30 years is associated with a sharp increase in diet-related poor health.