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Wine & Headaches: Why We’re Still Confused.

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Does red wine give you a headache? Some people certainly find that it does, but just why has been a recent conversation starter.

A Huffington Post article back in November (Why Red Wine Gives You A Headache (And What To Do About It)) tells the story of one person’s search for answers – and the answers turn out to be several possibly conflicting ideas. It must be sulfites, right? No, can’t be. Could our “perception” influence our headaches? Or maybe the histamines – or just plain higher alcohol content in certain wines. Should we only drink wine from thinner-skinned grapes?Alcohol, headaches and migraine

An then an article in June presented another confident headline – What’s really causing that red wine headache. Debbie Carlson of the Chicago Tribune confirmed the belief that sulfites are probably not to blame. After all, sulfites are common in dried fruit and salad bars – but how common is the “salad bar headache”? (Actually, there may be reasons why you hear about one and not the other – but we’ll leave that alone at the moment)

More likely culprits are tyramine and tannins, two villains that we’ve talk about before.

Tyramine is also common in aged cheese, making the wine and cheese combination a particular (potential) problem. Tannins are especially high in grape skin and seeds (once again hinting that thin-skin wines are a better option).

As with any migraine trigger, the connection ends up being very complex and different with every person.

Two studies done using the Curelator app showed a curious pattern. Yes, various types of alcohol certainly triggered migraine attacks in some people. But over 3x that number found that some type of alcohol was a “protector” – decreasing their chance of having an attack!

But again, the results aren’t so simple. Many people “relax” with a glass of wine or beer – and so there are many other factors involved beyond the alcohol. Time to relax itself could help avoid an attack.

On the other hand, one woman was interviewed who found sparkling wine to be a trigger. As it turns out, she only drank sparkling wine at formal events – no doubt different food, higher stress – perhaps different shoes – again, so many factors beyond just the alcohol.

We may still discover that certain chemical combinations in certain wines greatly increase your chance to have a migraine attack. But for now, the bottom line is that every person is different. Moderation, and watching your body’s reactions, will always be a good starting point. It’s far better to keep track and know your own body than to believe what “everyone” says should be your triggers.

Also see:
Getting a Headache right after Drinking Alcohol?

Apple Cider Vinegar – for Migraine?

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Apple cider vinegar – could it fight migraine?

These days, it seems that just about any food is claimed to help with migraine at one time or another.  And apple cider vinegar is a folk remedy that’s been around for thousands of years, and is supposed to help with everything from warts to weight loss.

Apple cider vinegar and Migraine?

Investigating apple cider vinegar (ACV) can be pretty frustrating.  In spite of all the claims, there are surprisingly few good studies that have been done.  When it has been studied, the claims turn out to be either wrong or perhaps weak (meaning that although ACV may help with this or that, there’s probably something else that will help a lot more).

I’m not aware of any decent studies that have been done relating ACV with headache conditions.  However, there is reason to believe it could help certain people, because of the way it might impact your body’s reaction to foods.

Apple Cider Vinegar – nutritional powerhouse?

First, let’s debunk one common myth.  ACV does not seem to be the nutritional powerhouse that some people claim it is.  For example, let’s consider a 2 teaspoon dosage.  That will give you 0.001% of your daily recommended calcium, phosphorus and iron, and a whopping 0.002% of your daily potassium.  It won’t give you any significant vitamins at all.

This doesn’t mean that there’s no value in APC (as we shall see).  And in fact, it’s very likely that there are some undiscovered traits that will benefit your body.  But if you’re thinking that it’s like eating an apple, but more concentrated, you’ll be disappointed.  (Just one apple with the skin is packed with vitamins and minerals – more than 10x the calcium, 25x the phosphorus, and 34x the potassium!)

(Based on information from the National Nutrient Database and other related articles)

The Value of Vinegar

Ok, so it’s not a miracle food when in comes to vitamins and minerals.  But it still has a lot of value.

For example, like all vinegars it’s high in acetic acid.  That acid, along with other components in the ACV, may have benefits particularly when it comes to digestion.

For example, it could help your body absorb the nutrients in the foods you eat, if you’re eating the vinegar with your meal or right before it.  It also could slow down digestion – meaning that it will slow the release of sugars into your system, avoiding sugar spikes (at least when you’re eating a meal high in carbohydrates).

Of course, if you already feel like your diet is too acidic, adding more acid won’t help!

Although the evidence isn’t yet strong enough for many doctors and researchers, many use ACV for weight loss.  At the very least, it could make you feel fuller (and therefor eat less).  But there is some evidence that it has at least a mild weight loss effect for other reasons.

What about Migraine?

If you know a lot about migraine disease, you already know that migraine is related to digestive health.  So yes – improving digestion and absorbing more nutrients and slowing blood sugar release could help minimize migraine attacks in some people.

We are, however, going on very little evidence here.  And my concern is that “popular” folk remedies like this one can easily eclipse the many well researched migraine treatments (including natural non-drug ones) that most people should be trying first.  So this one is going to be far down the list after many other supplements and foods.

That being said, if you have a list of migraine-fighting foods that you try to incorporate into your diet, this could certainly go onto the list and into your salad.

One thing to be aware of, though.  Apple cider vinegar also contains tannins, which may trigger migraine attacks.  Some actually consume a low-tannin diet for migraine.  So you may find that what you hoped would fight migraine may actually make things worse, depending on the rest of your diet.

Warnings

If you’re going to try AVC, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  • If you’re going to do more than just add it to your salad, talk to your doctor.  This particularly goes for those with diabetes, since ACV could upset the blood sugar balance.
  • Always dilute.  ACV can damage the tissues in your mouth and throat, and damage tooth enamel.  Also, be sure to rinse out your mouth afterwards.
  • Long term use could lower potassium levels and impact bone density.  If your family has a history of osteoporosis, think twice before consuming significant amounts over a long period.
  • If you’re taking medications such as diuretics, laxatives, or meds for diabetes or heart disease, talk to your doctor first.
  • If you’re thinking of a supplement, buy from a brand you trust.  A 2005 study in the USA testing 8 brands found that dosages varied greatly and ACV was frequently mislabelled.

Summary

The scientific evidence for apple cider vinegar as a migraine-fighter is almost non-existent.  However, it could help indirectly when used as a part of a healthy diet.  For most people, trying it in their diet will be a healthy choice.  Adding flavour to your food, you should be able to cut down on bad fats.  You can even use vinegar (of any kind) to wash your fruits and vegetables, which should get rid of some common pesticides and bacteria.

However, do think twice before going hard-core into ACV supplements, or relying on ACV before the many other better proven migraine fighting foods and supplements.

And hey – go eat an apple.  An apple a day can do you a lot of good – maybe a lot more than an expensive supplement.

Other useful information on ACV:
Apple Cider Vinegar (WebMD)
Apple cider vinegar for weight loss: Effective? (Mayo Clinic)
Health Benefits of Vinegar (HowStuffWorks.com)
Examination of the antiglycemic properties of vinegar in healthy adults. (Arizona State University)

Migraine Free Diet, Red Wine, and a Cookbook Giveaway!

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Is a migraine free diet really possible?  As with many things related to migraine, the answer is yes and no!

The good news is that many people actually have found their very own migraine free diet.  That means that they have tracked down a food or some foods or a type of food that seemed to be triggering the majority (or all) of their migraine attacks.  When they cut it/them from their diet, they found that their migraine attacks drastically decreased or disappeared.

The problem is that everyone is different.  One person may find that bananas trigger migraine attacks, another may have no problem with them (or even find that their healthier with more bananas!).

Recently a study was done on a typical migraine trigger – red wine.  The study chose people who believed that red wine had triggered attacks in the past.

Migraine free diets and red wine

Each participant drank a half a bottle of a different type of red wine at least four days apart.

The result?  A few didn’t have a single attack (12%).  About half had attacks on at least two occasions.

Why didn’t more attacks occur?  For one thing, few triggers are going to cause problems all the time.  It’s probably more a matter of going over the line – too many triggers adding up.

But in this case, researchers also found that some red wines were worse than others.  Prime offenders?  Tannat and Malbec wines – possibly because of the higher tannin content. (see below for more on tannins)

This just illustrates again how tricky it can be to find a truly migraine free diet.

However, here are some migraine diets and other tips that have helped people in the past.  Take a look, then see below for information on the cookbook giveaway!

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for!  I know many of you have some great migraine-fighting recipes.  Now’s your chance to help migraineurs around the world – share your recipe!  It’s easy!

Just find a recipe that at the very least avoids the most common migraine triggers.  Make it healthy, easy and fun!  And share it with us here – Share your Migraine-Fighting Recipe!

If you want to get really fancy, you can even upload a picture or two of the finished product!

If you’ve shared a really great recipe, you might just find yourself the owner of a free migraine cookbook!

Once we have 10-20 recipes, I’ll take a look for one that really stands out from the crowd.

And who knows?  If the recipes keep coming in, I might just give away some more cookbooks!

So go ahead – check out the details here!

Are you iron deficient?

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One condition that is known to cause headache is iron-deficiency anemia.  Anemia itself is a decrease of hemoglobin in your body.  This substance in your blood carries oxygen, so if there’s not enough to do the work then weakness, pale skin and tiredness may result.

There are a number of things that may cause low iron levels, and so iron-deficiency anemia.  First, low levels of iron in the diet.  Sometimes people over 60, pregnant women, and vegetarians don’t get enough iron.  Second, people who aren’t absorbing the iron well.  Conditions such as diarrhoea or taking medication for acid reflux can cause problems.  Third, bleeding for any reason, including heavy menstruation.

There are some possible parallels here with some other migraine triggers.  For example, it has been theorized that tannins may inhibit iron absorbtion.  Some women get migraine symptoms during menstruation (this is likely due to hormonal changes, but could the iron loss make things worse?).  Caffeine, another common migraine trigger, can also inhibit absorbtion of iron.  Are things like this a coincidence, or is iron-deficiency more of a problem for migraineurs than we think?

You can get tested for iron-deficiency by your doctor.  She may suggest ways to get more iron in your diet, or even prescribe iron supplements.  Foods high in iron include beef, raisins, lamb, peas and beans.

For more on iron-deficiency anemia, read this article from the Mayo Clinic.

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The articles on Headache and Migraine News are © 2004-2024 J. Cottrill.
Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of each article, and to point you to further sources of information. However, this site is for informational purposes only and should never replace a visit to your doctor.