A new survey of a 1,000 people suffering with migraine by the charity Migraine Action has revealed that over two thirds of members affected by frequent migraine attacks believe that certain foods could be the cause. The survey found that 85 percent of people affected by debilitating migraines had their symptoms reduced, and quality of life improved, when their food triggers were discovered and avoided.

 

Additional research from the University of York has further supported the Migraine Action findings, uncovering that the frequency of migraine attacks was reduced by almost a quarter (23%) over 4 weeks when the YorkTest FoodScan test was used. Dr Andrew Dowson, head of headache services at King’s College and member of the medical advisory board of Migraine Action, commenting on the research said: “A link between food intolerance and migraine has long been suspected. Recent research has shown that when people with migraine follow tailored diets to eliminate trigger foods their symptoms significantly improve, however the treatment of migraine is not a ‘one size fits all’ situation, each person needs to establish their own specific combination of triggers, which can also include factors like stress and irregular sleep patterns”.