Headache after eating , My head hurts from .. blue cheese ?!
In recent years, more and more experts are paying attention to one culprit for the headache, which we do not suspect – food. Eating foods that avoid culprits can be crucial in preventing or reducing headaches.
Modern medical science is able to distinguish some of the factors that cause headaches. But many of them have not yet been discovered due to their extremely complex mechanism of action. Knowing the provoking factors is the first and very important step that will help you protect yourself from headaches. Headaches are a symptom, not a disease. It is rarely a sign of a serious problem and is usually due to muscle tension due to stress.
The brain itself does not feel pain. The headache comes from the tissues around the brain, the structures in the brain base, the muscles and blood vessels of the scalp, face and neck. The pain is localized behind the eyes to the temple, forehead, nape or even the whole head. Sometimes a person may even feel hard, taut muscle fibers under the skin, causing tension headaches (due to contraction of the cranial muscles).
Migraine is a frequent recurring severe headache accompanied by other symptoms. According to new revolutionary discoveries, it turns out that when you have a headache, whether it’s tension, stress or a terrible migraine, another causal factor is added – the food you eat every day. Whether you will have frequent and severe headaches depends largely on your genetic predisposition. Some of the triggers leading to headaches you cannot control, such as changes in weather, direct light, strong odors and menstrual cycles. The only factor to control is diet.
However, the situation is complicated because food rarely acts on its own in accelerating the headache. Usually, two or more factors are needed to overcome the regulatory mechanisms of the brain that lead to headaches. The main causes of headaches are tyramines and nitrites, which are found in many foods. They directly affect the brain of those prone to headaches, causing neural changes and changes in blood vessels.
What the pain will be and how common it will be depends on the degree of vulnerability and the combined effect of food and other causes on the brain. In some cases, food stimulates the constriction of blood vessels, leading to impaired blood flow and transient neurological symptoms, such as visual disturbances. In other cases, the blood vessels in the head outside the brain dilate, leading to pain.
According to this theory, all foods containing tyramines and nitrites should be avoided by people suffering from headaches. These are: chocolate, ripened cheese, red wine, bacon. According to another theory, the headache is the result of intolerance (allergy) of the body to a food. In these cases, the immune system takes the food as an antigen (a foreign substance) and reacts with vascular changes leading to Headache after eating .
Surprisingly, in the first place as the cause of the headache was cow’s milk (in 30% of cases). Cow’s milk is the most common cause of food allergies. It is followed by eggs (27%), chocolate (25%), oranges (24%), wheat (24%), cheese and a total of 55 foods. There are foods that relieve headaches. Fish oil, as well as oily fish – salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna – help reduce migraine attacks over a period of time. In addition, foods rich in honey (oysters, crabs, liver, nuts, seeds, green olives, wheat bran) also have an analgesic effect, not least the spice ginger.
Here are some foods that can cause headaches. Think about whether you have a headache after consuming them!
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Red wine, less often white wine
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Another type of alcohol – whiskey, brandy
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Chocolate, milk chocolate
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Blue cheese (products with mold, mildew), yellow cheese
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Fermented and smoked foods
- Very processed and flax-dried and seasoned meat products – sausage, sausage, hot dog
- Nuts, especially fried
- Yogurt, ice cream
- Bananas, citrus fruits – lemons, oranges
- Freshly baked, warm bread and pasta
- Coffee, even decaffeinated, strong tea, cola
- Carbonated drinks
- Onions, very hot spices
- Saccharin, aspartame in dietary foods
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG), found in large quantities in Chinese food
According to scientists, almost 20% of foods can cause severe headaches. They classify 6 types of substances that are contained in food and can cause Headache after eating .
Table of Contents
Tyramine
This derivative of the amino acid tyrosine is found in foods such as chocolate, walnuts and some types of cheese. The bioactive amines in chocolate have been accused of provoking headaches and migraine attacks. No direct relationship has been found between headache and chocolate consumption. Stress and the menstrual cycle in women are more significant triggers and often the consumption of chocolate is combined with some of them and is vainly blamed for headaches.
Histamine
This substance increases the body’s immune system as a factor and mediator of inflammation, but its use in large quantities can lead to severe migraines. A lot of histamine is found in beer and red wine.
Nitrates
There is a lot of talk about the harm of nitrates. Nitrates can be found in large quantities in fast food products such as sausages, ham and other local products that are processed in different ways. In fact, the amount of nitrites is often predominant in them.
Caffeine
In moderation, this substance (trimethylxanthine) stimulates the brain, but excessive use causes headaches (even caffeine). Therefore, drinks such as Coca-Cola, tea or coffee should not be abused.
Fruit acids
Oranges, lemons and grapefruits contain large amounts of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). They increase immunity and help the body deal with various viral infections. But in people suffering from allergies, too much of these acids can cause headaches.
Sodium glutamate
Virtually all food in Chinese restaurants is rich in this substance. It is found in especially large quantities in seafood delicacies. That’s why people who are not used to Chinese cuisine can get a headache. Nutritionists advise to pay close attention not only to what you eat, but also to how you do it.
Proper diet can save you a lot of health problems. First of all, never miss breakfast. It is optimal to eat 3-4 times a day, and it is preferable to eat most of the food in the hours before and until noon, or at least the volume of food to be reduced from morning to evening. it is recommended to consume more salads than fresh vegetables, to drink more fluids.The amount of tea, coffee and spirits should be kept within certain reasonable limits, which are quite individual according to the body.
