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Is it true that Migraine Can Appear After Consumption of Carbohydrates and Sugar?

JawaPos.com – Some people complain of headaches after eating certain foods. Especially those high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, such as a piece of chocolate cake or a bowl of pasta. And, that’s in line with a 2018 study that concluded nearly 30 percent of patients reported eating certain foods triggering headaches.

However, a new study by professors of neurology at King’s College London and the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Peter Goadsby, points out that it’s most likely not the food that causes the migraine. But migraines that cause people to eat certain foods.

As quoted from Channel News Asia, Peter explains, during the initial stage of a migraine attack or the so-called prodrome phase which can start a few hours to a few days before the headache phase strikes, people may experience symptoms. Such as fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, light sensitivity, muscle stiffness, yawning, and increased urination.

During this time, he adds, brain imaging studies have shown the hypothalamus, the region of the brain that regulates hunger, is activated, causing people to want and eat certain foods.

“It’s pretty clear this area changes activity before the pain starts. Some people crave savory or salty snacks, while others crave candy and chocolate,” says Dr. Goadsby.

Then, once they indulge their cravings and the migraine headache phase begins, it’s natural for people to wonder. Is something they ate contributing to the pain. This is as stated by the Neurologist and Headache Treatment Expert at the Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Ariz. Rashmi Halker Singh.

Chocolate is said to be one of the most widely reported migraine-triggering foods, but in a 2020 review of research in the journal Nutrients, researchers concluded there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest chocolate causes migraines.

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