Omega-3 for Migraines
Higher intake of healthy fats tied to fewer, less severe skull crushers.
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If just the thought of what to make for dinner tonight gives you a piercing headache, perhaps you should consider searing up some salmon to get some omega-3 for migraines.
A study in BMJ looked at adults who frequently suffer from migraines. Participants who followed a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids sourced from fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, for 16 weeks experienced a shorter duration of headaches per day and fewer instances of headaches per month. This was compared with those who followed a control diet with normal levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Especially good was a diet with high omega-3s and low omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils and seeds.
Besides highlighting the benefits of omega-3 for migraines, the study revealed that participants on the intervention diets experienced less severe headaches than those on the control diet, which mimicked typical U.S. intakes of these fats. Improving the dietary ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s may tamp down pain-inducing inflammation in the brain and offer relief to the millions of migraine sufferers in America.
See also: Migraines: A Weighty Issue?
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
