Magnesium via Food or Supplement – and fewer Migraine Attacks
A new study, published in the journal Headache, once again points to magnesium as a key migraine-fighter.
We’ve talked a lot about magnesium in the past few years. And I haven’t kept track, but I’m pretty sure that of all the “thanks so much” emails I’ve received, the magnesium tips have been at least in the top 5 solutions that people have found for their migraine attacks.
This “cross-sectional analysis” is basically just an analysis of information that was gathered in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It’s only showing correlation – in other words, there is a connection – the study doesn’t “prove” that raising your magnesium levels tends to fight migraine. What it does do is match perfectly with previous studies as well as reports from many doctors, specialists and patients – that making sure you’re magnesium is at a proper level is key to fighting your migraine attacks.
The study showed that those who had the “recommended amount” of magnesium (current RDA in the USA) were at lowest risk of migraine. Those in the lowest quarter of the group, those who had the lowest intake of magnesium, were the ones who were at the highest risk of migraine attacks.
An interesting note was that the magnesium could be supplemented – in other words, it wasn’t just those who were getting all the magnesium from their diet, but also those who got some from supplements, who benefited.
There’s a lot more to read here at Headache and Migraine News about magnesium – such as dosage and why you shouldn’t take it with calcium. (if you’re taking it for migraine), a reminder that the type of magnesium you buy really matters, and which supplements some of our visitors have recommended.
For more on this particular study, see Dietary magnesium and migraine in adults: A cross?sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2004