Keto Offers Relief From Migraines

While 2018 is slowly coming to an end, we can read about more and more studies that dig into the use of the keto diet to treat migraines. Finally, all those individuals who claim that the keto diet has significantly reduced their overwhelming headaches are getting some love from relevant scientific sources.

A ketogenic treat for headaches

We all know that ketogenic diet aids in weight loss, but its beneficial effects do not end there. In fact, many people don’t necessarily choose this lifestyle for weight loss. For example, a neurological patient might have a BMI within the healthy range, yet they consider a keto diet. Why? Well, certain foods can provoke inflammatory processes in the body that influence neurological wellbeing that varies tremendously based on various individual factors.

Migraines are one of the most prevalent neurological disorders. It is a complex condition that manifests itself as recurrent episodes of headaches, usually located unilaterally within a specific area of the brain. Some people experience a variety of visual or sensory symptoms before an attack – a phenomenon known as aura. A migraine attack can often be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia.¹

A lot of migraine sufferers know quite well that certain foods can acutely trigger a migraine attack. Some of these people research further into their diet and neurological health, and a few are lucky enough to find at least partial relief in the ketogenic diet. It has become a non-pharmaceutical approach that can work wonders in the long term for many chronic migraine sufferers.

Ketogenic diet for epilepsy and migraine

At the very beginning of keto diet research and application, it was mostly about treating children who had drug-resistant epilepsy.² Later, scientists hypothesized a neurological overlap of migraines and epilepsy, although the underlying mechanisms and symptoms of both conditions differ in many aspects. Many chronic migraine sufferers have been prescribed small doses of antiepileptic drugs to help prevent the typical unilateral headache attacks.

Furthermore, it is quite common for an epileptic patient to also suffer from migraine attacks. The latter often goes undiagnosed, either because epileptic seizures somewhat mask the seriousness of the headaches or because antiepileptic drugs effectively treat the migraine. If you are a migraineur, don’t panic: migraines are common in people with epilepsy, whereas epilepsy is rare in people with migraines.³ The underlying mechanisms of both disorders undoubtedly seem to overlap to some degree. That is why many researchers and practitioners have a good reason to consider the keto diet for chronic migraines.⁴

Reduction in migraine frequency and intensity

Neurologically, a migraine headache is most often a consequence of brain excitatory and inhibitory imbalance which can result in periodic activation and sensitization of a vascular-cranial nerve pain pathway.⁵ Evidence suggests that migraine pathophysiology can be altered by ketogenic diet at different stages. For example, the diet can restore brain metabolism and excitability. It can also act against inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms in the body.

Moreover, a study has shown that rats who were fed MCT oil experienced reduced neurophysiological events that underly migraine aura. While first clinical reports of ketogenic diet use in migraine treatment are 90 years old, recent studies further demonstrate the effectiveness of a prolonged ketogenic lifestyle. Some migraine sufferers experience a reduction in attack frequency and intensity while others even observe migraine disappearance.⁵

As an important side note, it is possible for the migraine sufferer to experience worsening of the symptoms in the transmission period (while their body is still getting used to utilizing ketones efficiently) but should see improvement after the first month or so of the keto diet.⁶

Nevertheless, what lots of people seek in the ketogenic way of eating is weight loss. Amongst them, some individuals suffer from frequent migraine attacks and may have no idea what relief from headaches they are about to experience as a side effect of going keto. Such was a case of twin sisters, published as a case report in Functional Neurology journal.⁷  The two sisters were experiencing 5-6 migraine attacks per month before starting the keto diet. They tried all sorts of treatments but to no avail. When they began keto for weight loss, they continued filling out their headache diaries. The sisters then reported a complete disappearance of migraine attacks on the diet. Whenever they would go back to their traditional diet, the attacks would return. During the brief periods of non-keto dieting, the frequency and intensity of headaches were still reduced, however.

The keto diet can relieve other types of headaches, as well

If you are familiar with cluster headaches, you know that this is an excruciating unilateral headache that lasts for only a few minutes but usually appears several times daily. The attacks can last for weeks or even months or can turn into a chronic cluster headache. The latter is a big challenge for clinicians as currently available treatments never relieve pain for many patients.

A recent study observed clinical efficacy of the ketogenic diet in 18 drug-resistant chronic cluster headache patients.⁸ During 12 weeks of the keto treatment, 15 patients responded to the diet. In 11 of them, the headaches disappeared entirely. One of the patients had been a migraineur as well. Their migraine positively responded to the keto diet, along with their cluster headache.

The keto diet, once again, brings good news and hope. Give your chronic migraine a three-month keto dose, and you might be surprised at the relief you experience. Make sure to get enough magnesium and other minerals in, though, especially when you first begin. This can help lower the chances of transitional period headaches.

Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD

This article has been medically reviewed by Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD.

Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.

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Tisa F

Tisa is a passionate low-carb recipe creator at MySweetKeto, a psychologist, a neuroscience reasearcher, and a music professional. She believes life is about balancing the ingredients at hand, sharing knowledge, and remaining open to new experience.

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• Keto Offers Relief From Migraines - December 10, 2018