Foods That Trigger Headache

Specialists of the German Society for the Study of Headache conducted another study to see whether severe headaches are caused by the patients’ diet.

Foods that could cause headache, for example, amines – compounds that are contained in chocolate, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, salted or pickled fish, smoked meat. In meat products sodium nitrite is often added, which gives them a pink color and prevents loss. It causes so-called “sausage” headache that is different kind of pulsation, as well as swelling and redness of the face.

“Chinese restaurant syndrome” is referred to headache caused by eating Chinese cuisine, which traditionally contains flavor additives MSG. The pain is accompanied by reddening of the skin of the upper part of the body, feeling the heat in the head, pulsation. If you eat much glutamate it can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, general weakness, palpitations. Glutamate is also added to the instant soups, potato chips, crackers and etc.

Some people poorly tolerate caffeine. Others, who are accustomed to his daily consumption, conversely, suffer if deprived of their favorite coffee, tea or coke – products containing it in large doses. In these cases headaches are accompanied by irritation, distraction, anxiety, sleep disturbances, nausea. If you’re used to drink a lot of coffee or tea at work, headache may occur on weekends, when the regime changes.

Headache may be caused by sweeteners that contain aspartame in its composition. Therefore, if you decide to give up sugar for diet reasons, select sweetener with caution. Some people are very sensitive to acid found in citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, grapefruits. According to scientists, severe headaches can be caused by 20% of food products.