3 Nutrients Every Migraine Sufferer Should Be Taking

Migraines are no fun. Approximately one in seven Americans suffer from migraines, and if you get them, you know that they can ruin an entire day or more, and leave you suffering in agony, wishing for any relief from the pain. If you have made plans with friends or family members on the day when the migraine strikes, it can ruin their day too.

There are prescription drug options for migraines, but those don’t always work, can be addictive, and sometimes come with unpleasant side effects. It is usually best to turn to drugs as a last resort, and only after having tried every other more natural option.

Fortunately, there are nutrition-based options that, if taken over time, can help reduce the frequency of migraine headaches, and can also reduce the severity of migraines when they do strike.

According to a recent article in Neurology Times, there has been a lot of research that suggests that there are 3 nutrients that every migraine sufferer should be supplementing their diet with.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that is important to maintain healthy blood pressure, a steady heart rhythm. It is also important in warding off migraines. If you eat a lot of leafy green vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains, and don’t abuse alcohol or use proton pump inhibitors, you may be getting all you need from your diet. Still, many people are deficient, and if you are a migraine sufferer, experts recommend that you up your intake. Oral supplementation with 400 mg per day of magnesium has been shown to decrease the frequency and severity of attacks.

Riboflavin is a vitamin that is also known as Vitamin B2. Your body needs Riboflavin to regulate your metabolizim, and your body needs Riboflavin for healthy brain function. Riboflavin is present in eggs, milk, green vegetables, and nuts. Riboflavin is also essential in preventing migraines, and in fact, recent research has shown that 400 mg per day can reduce the severity and frequency of attacks for migraine sufferers.

CoQ10 is also an essential nutrient for migraine prevention. Present in liver and in oily fish such as salmon, CoQ10, also known as Coenzime Q10, is an essential antioxidant that is required by your entire body at the cellular level. The natural version of CoQ10 is called ubiquinol, and is essential for maintaining energy, food digestion, and defending cells from free radicals. It is also a powerful nutrient to prevent migraines. In a recent study, CoQ10 supplementation resulted in the reduced frequency, duration, and intensity of attacks among test subjects.

Again, it is important to note that these three nutrients are the ones that recent science has shown to be effective. Feverfew was once thought to be an effective deterrent to migraines, and many migraine formulas contain feverfew, but unfortunately the latest science just doesn’t suggest that it is an effective migraine prophylactic.