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More carotenoids in your diet, fewer migraines
If you suffer from frequent episodes or migraines every so often and would like to do something about it in a non-medical way, you could increase the amount of leafy vegetables and carrots in your diet. According to an epidemiological study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the carotenoids in leafy vegetables and carrots protect against migraines.
Study
Chinese neurologists from Wenzhou Medical University analyzed data from 7,744 American adults. The Americans had participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2001-2004. Researchers had determined the concentration of a number of important carotenoids in the blood of the study participants and asked the study participants whether they had migraines.
Based on this data, the Chinese calculated whether they could find a link between carotenoids and migraine.
There are indications that carotenoids may protect against migraines. In 2021, BMJ Case Reports published an American case study in which a 60-year-old migraine patient started eating more leafy vegetables, increased the amount of beta-carotene in his blood by a factor of three, and was subsequently freed from his migraines. [BMJ Case Rep. 2021 Nov 18;14(12):e243987.]
Results
The more carotenoids were present in the blood of the study participants, the lower their risk of migraine. Beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, which is barely distinguishable from lutein, in particular protected against migraine. A relatively high level of these carotenoids reduced the risk of migraine by 36 percent compared to a relatively low level.
A high level of alpha-carotene reduced the risk of migraines by 30 percent.
The link between beta-cryptoxanthin and migraine was less clear. As far as the Chinese could see, the protective effect of lycopene and retinol was zero.
Mechanism
The researchers speculate that carotenoids may protect against migraines thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. According to clinical studies, high levels of free radicals and inflammatory factors such as interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha play a role in migraine.
Conclusion
"Further studies are warranted to investigate the safety and effectiveness of carotenoid supplementation as a potential intervention and prevention of migraine", the researchers conclude.
Source:
Eur J Nutr. 2024 Nov 28;64(1):31.
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Headache & Migraine
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