What to eat for a headache” is a question that many patients ask when they experience this condition. Because proper nutrition can also help alleviate the symptoms of the disease. In this article, we will reveal to you some types of food that can beat these uncomfortable headaches!
What to eat for a headache?
Headaches are a common and prevalent condition. The dull, persistent pain not only affects your health, but it can also be a sign of many dangerous illnesses. Therefore, you should seek medical attention to determine the cause of the disease. If the headache is mild, you can supplement your diet to minimize discomfort in the head region.
What to eat for a headache?
Refer to the following foods if you don’t know what to eat or drink when experiencing a headache:
What to eat for frequent headaches – Whole grain cereals
When experiencing chronic headaches, you should nourish your body with whole grain cereals such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, maca, sunflower seeds, etc. These nuts are rich in magnesium, which can help soothe any headache. You can consume these nuts as a light snack or grind them into a cereal mix.
What to eat for a headache – Red meat
Doctors often advise headache sufferers to avoid dried, fermented, sour meats or smoked products because they can make the symptoms worse. Experts also recommend using red meats such as beef, pork, lamb, buffalo, horse meat, etc., to alleviate headaches.
The American Headache Society and the Canadian Headache Society have confirmed that red meat is rich in CoQ10 and vitamin B2, which can fight against headaches.
What to eat for a headache – Salmon
Salmon is rich in nutrients, especially omega-3 and vitamin B2, which support brain and nervous system development. Eating salmon regularly can help prevent platelet aggregation, thereby preventing painful headaches. Additionally, salmon has anti-inflammatory properties and is suitable for people with edema.
If you have a headache, you should eat salmon.
What to eat for a headache – Fruit
Dehydration is the main cause of painful headaches. Therefore, experts recommend drinking enough water or eating fruit to hydrate the body. Here are some fruits that can answer the question of what fruits to eat for a headache.
What to eat for a headache – Avocado
Avocado is a fruit rich in antioxidants such as Lutein and zeaxanthin, which can reduce migraine headaches and prevent them effectively.
What to eat for a headache – Bananas
Bananas can quickly reduce migraine headaches. Experts say that this fruit contains a lot of potassium, which can support inflammation and pain reduction. In addition, bananas can also support the treatment of anemia, relieve constipation, thereby improving digestive health and circulation.
What to eat for a headache – Watermelon
Watermelon is a fruit with plenty of water and magnesium, a mineral necessary for those who suffer from headaches, especially those with headaches and nausea.
You can eat watermelon directly, juice it or make smoothies. Additionally, you can add honey and grated ginger to make the juice more flavorful and increase its benefits.
What to eat for a headache – Watermelon
What to eat for a headache – Blueberries
If you have used the above fruits but your condition has not improved, what should you eat when you have a dizzy headache? Try blueberries because the natural extract from blueberries can fight free radicals. Notably, Anthocyanin and Pterostilbene – two compounds with small molecular weight and easily cross the blood-brain barrier to neutralize free radicals, prevent arteriosclerosis and nourish brain blood vessels, effectively preventing and improving headaches.
What to eat for a headache – Yogurt
Yogurt is the answer to the question of what to eat when experiencing headaches. This food is rich in riboflavin, a part of vitamin B that can treat headaches. You should consume yogurt daily to alleviate symptoms of the condition while supporting digestion and maintaining body weight.
What to drink with headache – Lemon water
Containing a lot of vitamin C, lemon water provides many health benefits, especially for reducing headaches. When experiencing this condition, drink a glass of lemon water, and you will quickly feel the headache disappear.
What to eat for a headache – Dark leafy greens
Health experts always encourage people to supplement their diet with dark leafy greens such as duckweed, kale, water spinach, bok choy, arugula, etc. because they support the treatment of chronic diseases, including headaches.
If you don’t know what to eat for headaches caused by lack of sleep, add duckweed to your daily menu, as it is rich in vitamin B2, B6, magnesium, and omega-3, which can “banish” headaches and help you sleep better. When selecting green leafy vegetables, you should choose the ones with darker color as they have higher nutritional value.
What to eat for a headache – Eggs
Eggs are also a name mentioned when asking what to eat for headaches. This type of food is effective in reducing headaches. Science has proven that vitamin B plays a crucial role in preventing and treating headaches.
Experts say that 2 eggs contain enough vitamin B to provide for 1 day. Therefore, you should regularly supplement your diet with eggs to prevent headaches and provide essential nutrients for the body.
What should people with headaches avoid eating?
People who suffer from frequent headaches should avoid consuming the following foods to prevent worsening of symptoms:
- Alcohol: Both beer and wine can cause dehydration and decrease the sugar levels in the blood, resulting in dilated blood vessels and headaches. Overindulgence in alcohol not only triggers headaches but also deteriorates overall health.
- Food additives: Artificial sweeteners often contain coloring agents that can cause allergies or headaches.
- Chocolate: Chocolate contains chemicals such as phenylethylamine and bromine that dilate blood vessels, causing headaches in the head region.
- Fast food and canned food: The main ingredient in fast food and canned food is Monosodium glutamate, which causes headaches. Additionally, consuming these foods places an intense burden on the body and can lead to inflammation and headaches. Overconsumption of fast food and canned food can aggravate the condition.
- Cigarettes: Nicotine in cigarette smoke constricts blood vessels in the brain, leading to headaches. Thus, quitting smoking is essential to avoid affecting one’s health and those around them.
- Sugar: Artificial sugar is the root cause of metabolic syndrome and can lead to headaches. Therefore, people with headaches need to limit their sugar intake.
Headache should not eat Chocolate.
The aforementioned foods produce many free radicals when consumed, leading to diseases and aging. When these free radicals attack the brain, they cause cerebral ischemia. Free radicals, along with intermediate chemicals, cause inflammatory reactions and generate substances that dilate blood vessels, worsening the condition of headaches or migraines.
What should you keep in mind when experiencing a headache?
Supplementing your diet is a very effective and necessary method for preventing and improving headaches. However, this is only a supportive measure that cannot completely eliminate uncomfortable headaches. To treat this condition thoroughly, you need to accurately identify the cause of the disease and have an appropriate treatment regimen.
In addition, you can apply the following methods to reduce headaches:
Avoid stressful work
Working under stress will make your headache even more severe. Therefore, if you experience this condition, you should pause your work and take some time to relax your mind. You can listen to music, walk around the room, or talk to people around you.
Drink plenty of water
Dehydration can make headaches worse. Therefore, patients should combine resting with drinking more water to replenish their body. You can drink fruit juice to provide vitamins and help the body return to a balanced state.
Apply cold compresses
When the headache recurs, you can apply a cold compress to temporarily relieve the pain. Low temperatures will stimulate the brain, redirecting focus to new stimuli and ignoring current pain.
Take a hot bath
Patients can take a hot bath to relieve headaches, especially those caused by weather or sinus symptoms. After bathing, drink a warm glass of water, ginger tea, or a light meal. This will reduce feelings of pain, heaviness, or discomfort.
Exercise
Maintaining exercise and sports will increase immunity, maintain a good shape, be good for the heart, and limit headaches. You should exercise lightly for about 30 minutes a day to improve your health.
Acupuncture, massage
Acupuncture and massage can help relieve headaches. Patients can use their hands to massage the head, forehead, neck, and shoulders to temporarily relieve pain.
Stay away from loud noise, bright light, and strong winds
Bright light, strong wind, and loud noise are the main causes that make headaches more severe. Therefore, when you have a headache, you should avoid going out in the sun, places with bright light, and noisy environments. Instead, rest in a quiet, softly lit, airy, and cool place.
Avoid sitting in front of the computer for too long
Sitting in front of the computer for a long time can cause neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and eye strain. Blue light from the computer screen can also cause tension and make the headache worse.
Therefore, when the headache recurs, you should temporarily stop working and try to relax for about 30 minutes by closing your eyes. You will feel the headache gradually reduce.
We hope that the above article has helped you answer the question of what to eat and what not to eat when you have a headache. However, these methods are only temporary solutions to relieve uncomfortable headaches. To treat this condition completely, you should seek medical advice to find the cause and appropriate treatment plan.
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.
