18 Aug Natural Headache Remedies {Headaches + Nutrition}
Looking for natural headache remedies? It surprises me how many people struggle with DAILY headaches. It becomes a part of their life that they don’t even think twice about them anymore. Or maybe they do because it’s the throbbing migraine pain that can stop you in your tracks and prevent you from doing simple daily tasks.
I wanted to let you know that YOU DON’T HAVE TO SUFFER. While there are many factors that can give you a headache, finding the root cause of what is going on is NECESSARY to live your best life.
Common Causes of Headaches
Headaches can stem from so many different factors, but I wanted to cover some of the most common causes that I see.
No, it’s not a brain tumor. Even though, I will admit my brain jumps to that conclusion more quickly than I would like. 😛
- Illness
- Dehydration
- Environment (Weather changes, environmental allergies, etc.)
- Nutrient Deficiencies
- Stress
- Food Related (Eating inflammatory foods or withdrawals from a certain food like caffeine or sugar)
- Subluxation in Neck
- Medications
- Lack of Sleep
Nutrition
- Magnesium – Magnesium is necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body! It plays a big role in a healthy nervous system, as well as a strong immune system, strong cardiovascular system, and muscle function. In a study, it showed that people had lower blood magnesium who suffered frequent headaches. A study done in Headache compared a small group of people. Half of them received magnesium sulfate and the other half received a saline solution. All the patients in the treatment group responded to the magnesium well – pain + symptoms diminished. The group that got the saline solution initially suffered from symptoms, like pain and nausea/vomiting, with just the saline, but improved when they were given magnesium sulfate. This could be a great treatment if you’re undergoing a bad migraine attack.
- CoQ10 – People struggling with chronic headaches/migraines have been studied to deficient in CoQ10. CoQ10 is a major antioxidant in the body that protects the body from free radicals. Free radicals are known to interfere with cell function, which can lead to chronic diseases. CoQ10 is found in the mitochondria, so it also plays a vital role in ATP production, which carries out bodily functions. Another study showed that people who were coming in for frequent headaches had improvement with the quantity of headaches with CoQ10 supplementation. I recommend about 150mg of CoQ10. (This a pretty expensive supplement – but worth it!)
- Fish Oil – Fish oil is loaded with anti-inflammatory omega-3. While larger studies need to be done, a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health showed that 23 teens completed had a decrease in frequency, severity, and duration of migraines that they suffered from. Omega-3’s influence the expression of certain inflammatory cytokines, which can produce symptoms like a headache. I recommend 1-2 grams of a high quality EPA/DHA for frequent headache sufferers.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – A theory on why migraines happen frequently is due to mitochondria dysfunction. Vitamin B2 is a precursor in the electron transport chain located in the mitochondria. A study done in Neurology studied 55 patients and showed that B2 was superior to placebo in reducing frequency and the amount of days. The recommended amount is 400 mg per day.
- Vitamin D – There needs to be more studies done on the relationship with vitamin D deficiency + headaches, but there are a couple of studies that show there are low vitamin D levels in people who suffer from migraines, even though the headache descriptions + symptoms do not differ. In my clinical experience, 95% of my clients do not have optimal vitamin D levels. So, I do recommend supplementing with vitamin D daily, especially if you live more north, during the winter time, and/or work indoors a lot!
- Turmeric – Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory + possibly even stronger than some common NSAIDS, such as aspirin + ibuprofen. Since I mentioned how inflammation can cause a headache, bringing down inflammation is a also a great place to start!
- Peppermint Essential Oil – Peppermint is really great for helping reduce side effects of suffering from a headache/migraine! I love to rub diluted peppermint, so it can relax my muscles!
Want to get the supplements that I recommend for clients? Check out my virtual dispensary + you can see my ‘headache’ category to see the brands that I trust for quality + efficacy.
Lifestyle
- Avoiding Inflammatory Foods – Eating a food that doesn’t jive well with your body can produce chronic inflammation. Some of the most common foods that people don’t react well with are wheat, dairy, soy, corn, refined sugars, and vegetable oils. You can never go wrong with taking those foods out of your diet for 3-4 weeks, so you can see how they work with your body. You can even take a food sensitivity test, I recommend the MRT, that I can get to really figure out which foods produce inflammatory mediators. Cytokines, among other inflammatory mediators, can produce symptoms like headaches.
- Chiropractic Care – I can’t express how much I love getting chiropractic care, especially because I have the best chiropractors in the world. (Not jokin’) I could walk into their office with a headache and leave without one. It was always something with my neck + my chiropractor, Dr. Jimmy Allgood, mentioned that a subluxation in the neck can be caused by three T’s : Trauma, Toxins, + Thoughts. So, I highly recommend getting regular chiropractic care to have a healthy spine + nervous system! Even science backs up chiropractic care, it’s not just me! 😉
- Drinking Water – One of the most common triggers for getting a headache is not drinking enough water. From the moment that you’re thirsty, you are dehydrated. You need to stay ahead of it + always keep water with you and drink it throughout the day.
This topic can go on FOREVER, but I wanted to cover the basics on what studies are showing how nutrition plays a role in headaches and natural headache remedies. If you suffer from headaches, book your FREE 15 minute phone call with me to see how we can help you with diet + also implementing supplements to support your body. I can also test for any micronutrient deficiencies in your body to see exactly where we need to be targeting!
