Are there any foods out there to eat to get rid of a headache the natural way?

[3tbear]

I've had a headache since last night and it just won't leave. I hate the though of taking aspirin, any kind of drug unless I absolutely have to. I was just wondering if there are any foods which might help. I tried apple juice last night 'cause I read that if you smell an apple it can get rid of migraines, even though this is not a migraine. It's annoying though. Thanx.

[mango4]

Originally Posted by 3tbear

I've had a headache since last night and it just won't leave. I hate the though of taking aspirin, any kind of drug unless I absolutely have to. I was just wondering if there are any foods which might help. I tried apple juice last night 'cause I read that if you smell an apple it can get rid of migraines, even though this is not a migraine. It's annoying though. Thanx.

Are you drinking enough water? Sometimes headaches are just dehydration.
Some people have some coffee to get rid of a headache, but that's not much different than aspirin or Tylenol.
Hope you feel better!

[3tbear]

Thanx Mango, I'll try adding more water to my diet. You may be right, I don't drink too many liquids.

[Jennifer M.]

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Food can't cure headaches, but avoiding certain foods may prevent them, according to author David R. Marks, medical director of the New England Center for Headache. Some foods commonly trigger headaches in some people. If you're a headache sufferer, eliminating those foods from your diet is a sensible second step towards managing headaches. (The first step is to see your doctor to determine if there is some underlying condition that is causing the headaches.)

The key is to go on an elimination diet that avoids trigger foods such as most cheeses, chocolate, nuts, certain meats, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, MSG, caffeine, beans, out-of-the-oven yeast products (e.g., pizza, yeast breads, doughnuts), alcohol (especially red wine), ice cream, olive oil, and many, many more. If you were left to your own devices to figure out what's left after eliminating all these foods, you'd probably give up within a day. But Laura Marks has done the work for you, putting together 100 recipes that contain none (whew!) of the forbidden foods. The Headache Prevention Cookbook's recipes aren't bland or boring. They include Hearty Potato-Mushroom Frittata, Crepes with Spinach and Cheese Filling, Eggplant "Caviar," Corn and Carrot Chowder, Linguine with White Clam Sauce, Garlic Chicken, Cornish Hens and Wild Rice with Apricot Sauce, Asian Ginger Beef with Broccoli, Seafood Curry, and Angel Food-Strawberry Delight.

The authors suggest that you follow this diet, using their recipes and others you create yourself, for at least two months, and see if your headaches go away. Then gradually reintroduce the foods you avoided, one per week, so you can track which foods are your personal headache triggers. Once you've figured that out, avoiding those foods permanently can be your ticket to a headache-free future. --Joan Price

A few more interesting links:

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[tthurber]

If you're willing to consider herbal remedies, feverfew is good for headaches, despite what its name seems to imply.

[Brenda2000]

My daughter suffers from migraines, and her treatment consists of a painkiller (like ibuprofen), with caffeine. Usually a soda with high caffeine cntent, like Mountain Dew. Maybe you could try just the caffeine?

[3tbear]

I heard that too, that caffeine is good for headaches, despite what used to be said about caffeine not being good for them. I haven't tried that yet, but we do have some coke with caffeine in the house so I'll give it a shot.

[kells3]

I was also going to say caffeine. I had surgery in June and by the third day I was in the hospital even with all the pain medication my headache was getting worse. I got home still with a headache and the next day I thought I have not had a diet coke in 4 or 5 days maybe I am missing the caffeine. Within an hour of drinking the soda my headache was gone. Good luck, I hope your headache goes away.

[Pipanella]

In our dental office, we've recommended taking ibuprofen with pop containing caffeine (but coffee would probably work, too). Caffeine, when taken with ibuprofen, enhances the effect of the ibuprofen and quickens its intended result.


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RESULTS: Ibuprofen and caffeine administered together provided significantly greater analgesic activity than ibuprofen alone, caffeine alone, and placebo. Ibuprofen and caffeine administered together demonstrated significantly shorter times to meaningful improvement in headache relief than ibuprofen or placebo; significantly greater total analgesia than ibuprofen alone, caffeine alone, or placebo; and significantly greater peak relief than ibuprofen alone, caffeine alone, or placebo.

[telos2000]

Chewing coca leaves will help you forget you have a headache.

[Rockabillie]

almonds

[zaniness]

I prefer all the natural things - a healthy diet can help you have a healthy body! So try eating lots of veggies, proteins and water, but if you can, don't eat too many French fries - the starch isn't that good.

__________________
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