Plant-based Diet Helps Eliminate Migraines - New Study

Over one billion people around the world suffer from episodic or chronic migraines. Migraines are described as pulsating headaches that last from a couple of hours to several days. Among other symptoms patients describe sensitivity to noise and light and sometimes they experience preigraine 'auras' including nausea and vomitins.

A new study suggests that eating a plant-based diet may have the potential to “completely eliminate” migraines.

A 60-year-old patient from the US who “struggled with frequent migraines” for 12 and a half years, was advised to follow a Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE) diet that includes a lot of raw green vegetables (drinking one daily green LIFE smoothie) while limiting the intake of meat and dairy, starchy vegetables, and animal fats.

The man discovered that the frequency of chronic migraines had fallen to just one day a month after switching to plant-based diet.

The attacks were also less severe. The migraines were much less painful and much shorter in duration than before and the man had stopped taking his medications.

The headaches nearly disappeared after three months of eating dishes rich in whole grains, green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, rocket and healthy unsaturated fats like olive oil.   The migraines symptoms haven't returned in 7.5 years and the man no longer needed to use medication.

The man was allergic and previously published study suggests that better control of  allergy may also lead to fewer migraine. In this case, the patient's allergy symptoms also disappeared - to the point that he no longer needed to any seasonal medication. He was also HIV positive and the virus is linked to a heightened risk of migraines. The authors of the report say it is possible that the antiretroviral drugs had contributed to his symptoms but it wasn't possible to study this further without stopping the antiretroviral treatment.     The doctors concluded: "This report suggests that a whole food plant-based diet may offer a safe, effective and permanent treatment for reversing chronic migraine."     "While this report describes one very adherent patient who had a remarkable response, the LIFE diet has reduced migraine frequency within three months in several additional patients (personal communication)."

"While this report describes one very adherent patient who had a remarkable response, the LIFE diet has reduced migraine frequency within 3 months in several additional patients," wrote a team led by Dr. David Dunaief.