More than 45 million Americans suffer from
headaches, including both adults and children, according to the National Headache Foundation. The three major types of
headaches are tension
headaches, caused by stress; vascular
headaches, including
migraine and cluster
headaches, which are caused by changes in the blood vessels in the head; and organic
headaches, the kind experienced by children.
Alternative medicine offers treatments that help resolve the symptoms of headache, including
acupuncture,
acupressure,
homeopathy, manual therapies,
Qi gong, chiropractic, and
yoga. Another common alternative treatment is herbal
therapy, as some herbs are believed to relieve headache pain.
Headaches can range from mild discomfort to the intense, throbbing pain of
migraine. The physical cause is constriction of the blood supply to the brain. They can be triggered by
stress, but also by allergy, poor posture, hormonal changes, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, or low blood sugar. Frequent
headaches may be a sign that the body is low in levels of Vitamins B-3 and B-6.
Recommended vitamins:
Recommended minerals:
- Calcium -- relaxes muscles (500 to 1,000 mg daily; older women should take 1,500 to 2,000 mg daily)
- Magnesium -- works with calcium to reduce spasm of muscles and blood vessels (250 to 500 mg daily)
- Potassium -- reduces blood pressure
Recommended nutrients:
Foods to choose:
- Chicken
- Mackerel and sardines
- Salmon and tuna
- Nuts
- Ginger
- Garlic
Foods to avoid:
- Animal fats, which contain chemicals that stimulate the production of substances that can cause migraine
- Cheese, bananas, chocolate, eggs, oranges, tomatoes, spinach, and red wine; they contain the amino acid tyramine, which constrict the blood vessels.
- Food additives, such as MSG
- Red meat
- Nuts
- Caffeine
