Some people shouldn’t be eating bacon. Or sipping on certain wines. And they may need to steer clear of leafy green vegetables too. Those people are migraine sufferers whose debilitating headaches are triggered by certain foods.
Scientists from the University of California San Diego have found these people – and 14 per cent suffer with regular migraines – have a different mixture of gut bacteria that could be making them more sensitive to certain foods that are higher in nitrates like processed meats, leafy vegetables and some wines.
In the study, published in the journal mSystems, researchers examined 172 oral samples and 1996 faecal samples. They found that in both of sets of samples, migraine sufferers had higher levels of that particular nitrate-processing bacteria.
Around one in seven people suffer from migraines, with the majority suffering an attack more than once a month and about half being severely affected when they get a migraine. Symptoms can include visual auras and disturbances, nausea and vomiting, and the need to lie in a darkened space.
Diet, stress and lack of sleep are all known to be triggers, and hormones are also thought to play a role, with migraines affecting three times as many women as men.
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The study’s lead author Antonio Gonzalez hopes that, based on this research and the research that springs from it, one day there will be a way migraine sufferers can prevent the headaches from developing. The paper says that in the future there might be a “magical probiotic mouthwash” that would alter the balance of bacteria to help prevent migraines.
For now, though, Gonzalez suggests: “If you suspect that nitrates are causing you migraines, you should try to avoid them in your diet.”
