Food intolerance and food allergies in migraine

Some migraine sufferers may no longer need any medication at all with some changes in their lifestyle. If you can manage to find out which is the culprit of your migraine attacks you may be able to control and prevent them in a large number of cases. One of these culprits can be certain types of food that affect you. Migraine is determined by environmental factors and their interactions with the patient’s genetic constitution.

Food intolerance versus food allergies in migraine

It is clear that certain foods may trigger migraine attacks in some people, but even the amount taken, or time exposure can be different depending on the patient. Even worse, that specific food may only cause headaches or other symptoms occasionally. For example, a patient may have a headache when he or she eats chocolate, but it may only happen when he or she eats a certain high amount and in combination with other factors or types of food. Interestingly food withdrawals may also prompt headaches, as it is the case of caffeine for some patients. It depends on your genetic constitution and other several factors combined.

Food intolerance is far more common than food allergy, the first representing approximately 20% of the population whilst the latter is at the utmost 4%. The immune system may cause food intolerance as well as food allergies, but the mechanism is different, and here lies the key to this food problem some migraine sufferers face. Non-immunological factors are also thought to be involved in migraine attacks prompted by food intolerance.

When there is a food sensitivity what it happens is that the immune system of your body reacts releasing IgG antibodies that are supposed to defend you from the “intruder”, which in this case is a component of the food you are eating, just as it happens when a dangerous germ invades your body. IgG antibodies are the most common among the five classes of antibodies in the bloodstream. IgG antibodies are produced by plasma B cells. It may take even some days before you realize that your body is reacting to this “intruder”. This is the reason why it is sometimes so difficult to find out which one is the food that is triggering your migraine attacks. If you consider that it may be just some component of a particular food, then things become all the more so complicated. In tests the absence of IgG antibodies means that there is no immune response to a particular type of food. Therefore, those migraineurs that avoid taking foods for which IgG antibodies are tested positive should notice a significant improvement.

Food allergies are different because in this case the immune system releases IgE antibodies, which also defend you from potential harmful “intruders”. IgE antibodies are also produced by plasma cells and are present in the bloodstream in small quantities. Food allergies are a more serious matter because often the body’s reaction is immediate and in extreme cases it may even be fatal. Headaches in food allergies are less common as symptoms are more related to hives or inability to breathe properly, but headaches do happen. Other symptoms may include digestive problems, chronic diarrhea or constipation, runny nose, and fatigue. On the other hand, determining which food causes your migraine attacks is somewhat easier, but still some food allergic reactions are not accurately diagnosed as these reactions are often identified as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS and migraine are considered to be related by some scholars.

CRLifeSc forms part of an affiliate program to maintain this website. Want to know what’s causing your food intolerance or allergy? – intolerancelab

The main migraine triggers

Many types of foods may trigger headaches even in people who are not migraine sufferers as such. The main problem to identify the cause is that not always the specific food triggers a headache or a migraine attack.

Foods that may trigger headaches include among others:

Wheat or gluten. Wheat is thought to be one of the commonest foods that prompt reactions.
Orange or citric products. Orange could be the second most common food for intolerance cases.
Eggs. Eggs are rated as the third most common food causing intolerance.
Tea and coffee. Tea and coffee are ranked in fourth positions as the one of the commonest foods that prompt reactions.
Wine. Allergic reactions are rare when drinking wine, but they may happen. Symptoms often include nausea and vomiting, which are common among migraine sufferers, as well as others such as runny nose, nasal congestion, rash, etc.
Aged cheese. Allergies in aged cheeses are often related to the bacteria and fungi found in rinds because they produce large amounts of histamine. Histamine plays a role in the immune system prompting inflammatory responses. These microbial components in the surface of aged cheese take part in the ripening process.
Cheese aging process
Chocolate. This is generally caused by a component in chocolate as allergies to cacao are rare.
Foods that are high in fat. The amount of fatty food eaten may affect certain individuals at different levels.
Dairy products. Lactose and casein are the common culprits for this type of food intolerance. Lactose is a type of sugar, and casein is a protein found in milk.
Dairy products could be the culprits of your migraine episodes
Beef. Some people are affected by beef intolerance because they may have been bitten previously by a tick which has formerly fed from other mammals. The tick takes in a carbohydrate molecule that is then transmitted to a person when being beaten, prompting the person’s immune system to produce IgE antibodies which are specific to this carbohydrate molecule that is present in beef, lamb or pork.
Bananas. The intolerance is linked to the latex, which also happens in nuts and other plant fruits. Some banana proteins are like latex, which often causes food allergies.
Corn. Some researchers believe that corn allergy is underdiagnosed and that the percentage of people who suffer from this type of allergy could be higher than expected reaching approximately 5% of certain populations. Corn contains a protein that is called zein that is thought to be the “offender”.
Sugar cane. Sugar cane is less processed than refined sugar, and some components that could prompt allergies may remain.
Sugar cane juice
Yeast. This is a fungus that is present in some types of food such as breads, muffins, croissants, biscuits, or some cereals that contain malt which has been fermented with yeast.
Bread yeast
Food additives. The best examples are aspartame and monosodium glutamate, which are known to cause migraine and cluster headaches.

How to deal with migraine food triggers

The usual way to find out which foods may trigger your migraine attacks is by using an elimination diet, which simplistically explained consists of removing those foods that you think could be the culprits to add them some weeks later one by one. This is not an easy task because in the case of food intolerance the food reaction may take several days after the intake with variable results, and thus the whole process may take too long. Your age, sex. genetics and environmental factors also play an important part in the outcome. You are strongly advised to do this under the supervision of your doctor or a dietitian because the elimination diet involves certain risks of malnutrition.

Scientists are working on the epigenetic diet. Scholars believe that it is possible to design a tailored diet for some diseases which could include migraine. These tailored diets target specific biochemical paths or molecules in your metabolism or even specific structures at a cellular level making use of the knowledge developed in epigenetics. The use of folate (folic acid) as a supplement has proved beneficial in migraine. This B vitamin takes part in DNA methylation, which is one of the main epigenetic processes.

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Ketogenic or low glycemic diets are often suggested by scientists and dietitians for migraineurs. Ketogenic diets are a type of epigenetic diets. In these diets, sodium intake must be personalized.

During the last years intestinal flora has become a center of attention and possible explanation for several medical disorders. Migraine is often associated to gastrointestinal problems that include vomiting and nausea. Probiotics could modify gut microbiota reducing gut permeability for pro-inflammatory substances that impact on the trigeminovascular system. Scientists are studying these products to be included in the diet for migraine sufferers.

CRLifeSc forms part of an affiliate program to maintain this website.

For vitamins and minerals that can help you to alleviate your migraine symptoms please click on this article.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely upon the content provided in this article for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

For market research professionals please visit the Anti-migraine Market Strategic Analysis

04/03/202127/11/2023

Migraine antioxidants and telomere lengths

Telomere testing and antioxidant supplements may help you manage your migraine. Telomere lengths are used as indicators for biological age. Migraine sufferers have also shown shorter telomeres which confirm that oxidative stress plays an important part in this medical condition.

It is estimated that migraine could affect between 6% and 28% of the population worldwide. This debilitating medical condition is mainly characterized by a throbbing pain in one side of the head. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and excessive sensitivity to light and sounds.

Telomeres as an indicator in migraine patients and as people age

The first thing here is to understand what a telomere is and how the DNA is built. We all have heard about the DNA and its importance in genetics. The DNA is formed by a sequence of nucleotides (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine) in a kind of paired double helix inside a cell. In the case of humans, telomeres are extensions of DNA that are placed at the tips of all 46 chromosomes in each cell of the body. These telomeres are comprised of six nucleotides (TTAGGG) whose sequence is repeated over and over again at the end of chromosomes. T corresponds to thymine, A to adenine, and G to guanine. In biochemical terms telomeres prevent chromosomes from sticking to other DNA fragments and thus to other chromosomes. This task is particularly important during the process of cell division, which is known as mitosis in biology. The usual analogy is that of those plastic tips at the end of shoelaces that prevent fraying.

Still, it is not only length what matters when talking about telomeres. The shape and tridimensional structure of these DNA elongations are also important because these characteristics determine whether telomeres perform properly. The shape and structure must provide protection as if it were some type of fastener.

It seems demonstrated that migraine has a strong genetic component in most of the cases but the exact consequences at a subcellular level are not known. In any case, some studies have shown that telomeres are shorter than usual in patients suffering from migraine. This fact is important because it was previously demonstrated that telomeres are shortened as people age or suffer from chronic diseases or psycho-social stress too. Shorter telomeres in lymphocytes – a type of small leukocyte or white blood cell – show up even in early-life stress cases. It is also common to observe that maternal longevity is linked to longer telomeres in both men and women.

Following most of the studies, the conclusion is that telomeres shortening may be used as a good biomarker or indicator for some medical conditions. Some scholars suggest that this biomarker could also be used in psychology and psychiatry since psycho-social stressors also shorten telomeres.

Telomere testing may help you with your migraine

The telomeres length is always measured comparing it to the rest of the general population rather than an isolated quantity. This assessment must also be made comparing apples to apples, so to speak, which basically means individuals of the same sex, age, and other conditions. Women generally have longer telomeres. This indicates that telomeres length is pretty much like the height or body mass of an individual, which are personal characteristics. Genetic factors are thought to contribute 30% for the telomeres length. The way scientists compare these personal characteristics may give some hints about your health status and what to do with it considering that approximately 70% of telomeres length depends on environmental or external factors such as diet or physical exercise.

In the case of migraine, telomeres length is significantly shortened according to some studies, but there seems to be no correlation between telomeres length and the harshness and frequency of migraine attacks. In other words, if you suffer from migraine you will probably have shorter telomere lengths than you should have, regardless of the intensity and regularity of your migraine attacks. The variation of telomeres length in migraineurs is also noticeable.

Conducting a telomere length test every five or six months could help you understand whether you are progressing implementing the two most important recommendations that follow in this article, which are changing your lifestyle and a diet that fits your needs, which should be better run under the supervision of an expert.

CRLifeSc follows an affiliate marketing program to keep up this website. You can have a telomere length testing in Telomere Diagnostics. Please click below to see conditions and get more information.

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Antioxidants help in your migraine treatment and biological age

Determining our biological age, in contrast with our chronological age, is always controversial as it implies knowledge about why and how we all become older with all its consequences. We all know of people who are 80 years old and still can do physical or mental things that people in their forties or fifties are incapable of. The reality is that we tend to think in terms of chronological age rather than biological age, and to a certain extent this is a mistake in most aspects of our daily lives.

Aging seems to be the result of several factors that are already known scientifically, and others which are yet to be discovered. So, the best thing to do is to tackle at least those factors that have shown to affect our biological age and therefore our health. Oxidative stress, glucose or even pre-programmed biological processes at a cellular level contribute to our bodies aging. About pre-programmed biological processes there is little we can do for the moment, though advances in biology and medicine are shockingly fast nowadays and we could be surprised in the coming years. But we can certainly do a lot regarding oxidative stress and glucose.

Oxidative stress happens when there is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants at a cellular level. These free radicals contain oxygen with an uneven number of electrons that make them interact with other molecules more easily. These interactions may cause undesired or damaging metabolic reactions that can also harm cell components. Oxidative stress is intrinsically related to the immune system and inflammation factors.

Oxidative stress also damages DNA and thus telomeres with more harmful effects because these portions at the tips of the chromosomes are not repaired so efficiently as the rest of the neighboring DNA. As we have mentioned above, science has already proved that telomeres length is associated to the aging process. Irrespective of any chronic disease, telomeres lose some nucleotides in each cell division, becoming shorter and shorter. However, chromosomes can afford to preserve their genetic functions despite some nucleotides loss due to the repetitive sequence of these nucleotides, but this is to a certain point, where cells can no longer divide.

The key to rejuvenate your tissues is precisely cell division. Cell division is conducted by DNA, and the more divisions the higher the probability of carrying DNA errors that may ultimately modify metabolic reactions in your organism. According to Leonard Hayflick, a Professor of Anatomy at the UCSF, cells have capacity to divide an average of 50 times. Therefore, once cells lose a significant amount of telomere length they senesce or deteriorate losing that capacity and accumulating considerable damage that can no longer fix. Consequently, we inevitably age. Nevertheless, that does not happen in all cells and tissues. In eggs and sperm cells for example, there is an enzyme called telomerase that keeps adding nucleotides to that repetitive sequence. Other types of cells may have telomerases that are still somewhat active and delay the deterioration process in cell division.

Telomeres not only prevent chromosomes from fraying and sticking to other chromosomes in mitosis, but also help chromosomes DNA to repair itself preserving its main biological tasks. In other words, telomeres also help to prevent cancer. Cancer is usually the result of uncontrolled cellular growth. This is the reason why adding telomerase to prolong telomeres to enhance cell division is a bad idea to rejuvenate tissues. Longer telomeres may cause uncontrolled cellular divisions. It looks that the ideal length is in-between, neither too long nor too short.

Leukocyte telomere lengths are shortened as people age, but this happens at a lower rate than other cell populations. This is the reason why telomere lengths are mainly studied in leukocytes or white blood cells. Telomerase activity is detectable in contrast with other types of cells in the organism. Oxidative stress, hormonal stress, and inflammation are three key factors that affect leukocyte mitosis or division.

Antioxidants prevent oxidative stress and assist in the protection of telomeres, and these substances can be found in food and nutritional supplements.

8 antioxidant supplements that could help in the treatment of your migraine and to maintain telomeres length

There are several supplements that have powerful antioxidant properties. These antioxidant properties include scavenging of free radicals and reducing oxidative reactions, which support maintenance of a heathier metabolism.

Scholars believe that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in how migraine evolves in patients. For this reason, an appropriate diet and antioxidant supplements may help in the prevention of migraine. A proper diet should include vegetables, fruits, and in general products derived from plants.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a powerful antioxidant that is generally supplied when you eat fruit and vegetables. You must be incredibly careful to preserve this vitamin in food as it can be eliminated in a high temperature and strong light environment. Scientists believe that vitamin C helps migraineurs to reduce neuroinflammation and frequency and severity of headaches.

You can purchase clicking on this link Liposomal Vitamin C in Life Extension Europe.

If you are in the United States, you may prefer to have a look at Nature’s Lab,

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Excessive alcohol consumption generally causes thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency could lead to high levels of oxidative stress. For this reason, having this vitamin may be appropriate for heavy drinkers. In any case, you should consult your healthcare provider.

You can purchase clicking on this link BioActive Complete B-Complex in Life Extension Europe.

If you are in the United States you may prefer to visit Nature’s Lab for vitamins and supplements.

Coenzyme Q10

This lipid compound, also known as ubiquinone, also shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Apart from these properties, it takes part in DNA and RNA processes such as replication and repair, among other metabolic functions.

You can buy online Nature’s Lab CoQ10 in the United States.

In Life Extension Europe you may purchase Super-Absorbable Ubiquinone CoQ10 with d-Limonene online.

Curcumin

This is an herbal extract which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, among other benefits. Curcumin is extracted from turmeric rhizome of the ginger family. It is mainly used as a food seasoning. Scientists consider that curcumin could be useful for migraine treatment. Some studies have shown that the joint use of curcumin and coenzyme Q10 in patients suffering from sporadic migraine reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.

If you are in the United States you can buy curcumin online in Nature’s Lab. Free Shipping On Any Order. Shop Now!

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In Life Extension Europe you may follow this link to purchase Super Bio-Curcumin� Turmeric Extract.

Ginkgolide B

This is an herbal extract with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties obtained from Ginkgo biloba leaves that is mainly used for depression, anxiety, and headaches. Ginkgolide B is often recommended for the treatment of migraine because it has shown positive effects on the modulation of glutamate transmission in the brain and memory.

You can purchase Ginkgo Standardized Extract 60 Caps by Nature’s Way in Universal Herbs Inc.

Ginkgo biloba is also available to be purchased online in Nature’s Lab with free shipping.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

Tanacetum parthenium is a flowering plant that can be found in South America. This herb has been traditionally used in migraine treatment thanks to its antioxidant properties. According to some authors, feverfew has proved to be effective in migraine prevention decreasing the frequency of migraine episodes, but once again it may not work for everybody. This plant contains several active ingredients that could benefit migraineurs, but its best known is parthenolide. The problem with this herbal extract is that it may cause numerous side effects such as oral ulcers or allergic reactions, or even more headaches. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not use feverfew as there is not enough information regarding its safety. You are strongly advised to consult your physician before taking feverfew.

You can buy feverfew online following this link Source Naturals Feverfew Extract – 50 Tabs
from: Universal Herbs Inc

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that takes part in the catalytic process of several enzymes, which include relevant ones in several DNA and RNA processes. For this reason, magnesium deficiency causes higher oxidative stress, and it is necessary as an antioxidant at cellular level. You can get more information about migraine treatment with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium having a look at one of our previous articles following this link.

VegLife Vegan Magnesium – 90 Caps
from: Universal Herbs Inc

Zinc

Zinc is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mineral that is naturally present in some foods and can also be taken as a dietary supplement. Zinc plays a major function in the immune system helping to reduce infection.

NatureS Truth Chelated Zinc Tablets 100 Tabs by Natures Truth
from: Universal Herbs Inc

A healthy lifestyle is an add-on to preserve your telomeres

Definitely lifestyle influences telomeres length often activating the telomerase enzyme. Ultraviolet rays exposure, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption or smoking contribute to deteriorate telomeres. Therefore, to keep the appropriate telomeres length, it is strongly advised to exercise frequently; keep a proper healthy diet; to reduce the daily stress; and if necessary, as a complement to a healthy diet you should take some supplements. You should consult your physician before taking supplements though.

Please read our article related to diets about food intolerance and food allergies in migraine following this link.

Physical exercise

Disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

For market research professionals please visit the Anti-migraine Market Strategic Analysis

21/04/201827/11/2023

Medical devices will lose share in terms of revenues in the total US anti-migraine market by 2022

Anti-migraine medical devices will grab 5% market share in the United Kingdom and 3% in Germany in revenues in 2022

Whilst medical devices will gain two percentage points versus therapeutic drugs from 2018 to 2022 in terms of market share revenues for the total UK and German anti-migraine markets, CRLifeSc predicts that medical devices will lose two percentage points to grab only 7% of the total market to treat migraine in the United States.

During 2017 the medical devices market for the treatment of migraine in Germany has been able to seize approximately 1% share. Meanwhile the UK market for this type of devices has generated twice as much revenues to get 3% share. These devices are mainly available through specialist clinics and neurologists.

Anti-migraine medical devices face significant challenges and many opportunities

Migraine: A Neuroinflammatory Disease? — The potential involvement of neurogenic inflammation in the pathogenesis of the migraine headache and the inhibition of this mechanism as a possible mode of action of antimigraine medications are discussed in great depth in this volume.

93% of revenues are expected to be generated by therapeutic drugs in 2022 in the United States. Abortive drugs (analgesics and antiemetics, specific antimigraine drugs, and more innovative medicines) will still lead the market. Anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies and gepants together with new preventive drugs will help to drive the anti-migraine therapeutic drugs market. Expected high prices for these innovative products has become a major concern for government payors and insurance companies.

CRLifeSc estimates that neurostimulators and intraoral devices will have growth rates above 16% in revenues by 2022, but still according to the market neurostimulators may be underperforming.

Currently approved anti-migraine medical devices mainly target non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), but Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) devices and Vestibular Neurostimulators could also enter this market. Other invasive devices aiming at occipital nerves, trigeminal nerves, sphenopalatine ganglion, vagus nerve and spinal cord are also under study.

If you want to know more about this market you can follow this link.

Management of Headache and Headache Medications — The art of treating headache patients is a complex one, and there are a myriad of medication possibilities. Dr. Robbins has managed to present a clear and practical approach to headache medicines. He brings us through standard first line therapies into more complex “end of the line” medication treatments.

Beat Chronic Disease — CRLifeSc recommends this book for lay people following its affiliate marketing program. Migraine and depression are often associated.

Disclaimer

We are not financial advisors. The content on this article and website are for educational purposes only and merely cite our own personal opinions. In order to make the best financial decision that suits your own needs, you must conduct your own research and seek the advice of a licensed financial advisor if necessary. Know that all investments involve some form of risk and there is no guarantee that you will be successful in making, saving, or investing money; nor is there any guarantee that you won’t experience any loss when investing. Always remember to make smart decisions and do your own research!

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07/03/201827/11/2023

CRLifeSc Insights has launched the most complete Antimigraine Market Report unravelling many opportunities and some threats

CRLifeSc Insights has produced the most complete market report for the Antimigraine Market. The report conveys a strategic analysis to 2022 for therapeutic drugs, diagnostics and medical devices in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany.

An overview of the anti-migraine market as accurate as possible in three relevant countries

In order to assess the market properly it is necessary to have an overview as complete and accurate as possible. Most of the reports available on the market just give partial views with a lack of adequate understanding for the whole picture.

The treatment of migraine offers many opportunities and some threats for healthcare companies. This report will make the reader an expert in this field.

This report is independent and economically unbiased and it is not sponsored by any stakeholder with an interest in the antimigraine market.

What you can find in this report

CRLifeSc Insights has conducted primary and secondary research involving more than 500 companies and institutions, more than 80 active ingredients and compounds as well as medical devices, and about 200 patents, to produce a report that contains 634 pages, 70 figures and 65 tables.

The structure and segmentation of this report makes an interesting and easy reading to reach conclusions and prompt adequate analysis and planning.

Who should buy this report

Investors, consultancy firms, professionals and any stakeholders in the pharma, diagnostics and medical devices fields will benefit from reading and having at hand this comprehensive report.

The Antimigraine Market. Therapeutic Drugs, Diagnostics, and Medical Devices. Strategic Analysis to 2022. United States, United Kingdom, and Germany.

Price: US $6,500