Health alert! These food items may be giving you headaches

Experts inform that there are a variety of triggers that can bring about a reaction of pain that can be felt in the head, jaw, or face.

Headaches are very common and everyone experiences them due to varying reasons. But while some may experience regular and chronic headaches due to conditions such as migraine, others may have headaches due to temporary reasons such as excessive screen time, stress, lack of sleep, etc.

But apparently, your diet too can give you a headache. So, if you get a headache after eating, it may be triggered, at least in part by certain foods or beverages.

“Many people endure headaches consistently, never expecting that the trigger could be something in their diet,” nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee informs.

She explains that if you have frequent headaches, your genetic predisposition may be to blame. “The more genetically prone you are, the more likely certain foods act to precipitate the headaches,” Anjali adds.

"It is not unusual at all for food to trigger migraines or other types of headaches," said Noah L. Rosen, MD, a neurologist, and pain specialist in, New York, in an earlier report in Everyday Health.

However, it is advised that since different foods can trigger headaches in different people, keeping a food and headache diary can help to identify which foods are involved in causing the headache.

Taking to her Instagram page, Anjali shares a list of some foods that may cause a headache. Let’s take a look at these foods and also what other experts have to say about them.

Chocolate

Eating a single chocolate may not give you a headache, but eating 4-5 pieces or a whole box “may give you a splitting headache as it contains caffeine and tyramine.”

However, Dr Rosen reportedly said that "Chocolate may be getting a bad rap as a migraine trigger. Many people with migraine have increased appetite and food cravings just before their headaches start."

Which means, chocolate may be the result of a migraine that’s going to strike, rather than the cause of it.

Red wine

According to the nutritionist, red wine is a common trigger for headaches. However, the quantity of red wine also matters. “Some may get a headache with just one glass while others may precipitate one after 2-3 glasses,” she said.

Sulfites, which are used as preservatives in both red and white wine, are considered a potential migraine trigger.

"People with migraine tend to get worse hangovers from any type of alcohol," said Robert B. Daroff, MD, a professor of neurology in Cleveland and past president of the American Headache Society. He is also quoted as saying, “Alcohol will also trigger a headache in someone going through a period of cluster headaches.”

Cheese

Cheese, too can be the reason behind your headache. “It contains tyramine that causes blood vessels to constrict, leading to a headache,” the nutritionist explained.

"There is not much research on cheese as a migraine trigger, but it is generally agreed that aged cheese is more likely to cause a headache," Rosen said.

Apparently, a substance called tyramine which is present in chocolate as well may be the culprit. It reportedly forms as the proteins in cheese break down over time.

Milk

Anjali informs that milk “is now considered a common trigger for headache, especially if you are lactose intolerant.”

Citrus fruits

The presence of octopamine, in citrus fruits may trigger headaches. “People who cannot tolerate acidic fruits can also get a headache with oranges, sweet lime, lemons and grapefruits,” the expert said.

Artificial sweeteners

Many people use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, however, “they contain aspartame which reduces the dopamine levels and triggers headaches.”

However, “For aspartame, you’d have to drink huge amounts to have it associated with headaches” as a stand-alone trigger, said Vincent T. Martin, MD, a headache specialist and professor of clinical internal medicine.

“Other common headache-causing foods are cabbage, brinjal, cured meats, canned fish and peanuts,” Anjali said.

According to Dr Swarna Vyas, Consultant Aesthetic Physician and Wellness Expert, for around 10 per cent of those who suffer from migraines – food is a trigger.

She reportedly said, “Some foods that may cause a headache are – caffeinated beverages, including coffee, tea, colas, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, and nitrate/nitrite-containing meats including hot dogs, sausages, bacon, lunchmeats/deli meats, pepperoni, other cured or processed meats.”

Anjali explains that sometimes, headaches are also triggered by weather changes, strong odours, perfumes, bright lights, and menstrual cycles. “Whilst you cannot control many of these factors, what you choose to eat is in your control,” she concludes.