Vitamin Deficiencies Can Trigger Migraines

The most common age range for migraine sufferers is between 35 and 55 years of age.

The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks migraines as the 19th most common reason for disability worldwide.

Migraines are responsible for at least $20 billion each year in medical costs and lost work productivity.

Migraines are more common in women than men because of hormonal influences and are characterized by recurring attacks of moderate to severe intensity, many times occurring only on one side of the head. These headaches may last from a couple of hours to up to three days and are often aggravated by physical activity.

Other symptoms that may accompany a migraine headache include nausea, visual disturbances, dizziness, numbness in the extremities or face and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, smell and touch.

Researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center recently published a link between migraines and vitamin deficiencies.

The team, led by Dr. Suzanne Hagler, a headache medicine fellow in the division of neurology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, evaluated over 7,400 participants.

Researchers took baseline levels of riboflavin, vitamin D, folate and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). A high percentage of the children, teens and young adults, had mild CoQ10, vitamin D and riboflavin deficiencies. They found young women and girls were more likely to experience a CoQ10 deficiency and boys were more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency.

The researchers found that an alarming 16 to 51% of participants had below average levels of vitamins depending on the vitamin tested.

These deficiencies are based on levels determined by the National Academy of Sciences Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). These national levels are set to prevent disease and not necessarily to support health. This means the percentage of participants deficient in nutrients may have actually been higher.

This was not the first study to associate mineral and vitamin deficiencies with migraine headaches.

In a paper published in 2012, researchers acknowledged the integral relationship between magnesium and multiple bodily processes. Less than 2% of body magnesium is measurable. The remainder is stored in your bones and located inside of your cells.

A lack of magnesium may promote a number of different illnesses, including depression, platelet aggression, serotonin receptor function and influence production and use of neurotransmitters.

Researchers theorize that migraine sufferers may develop magnesium deficiency from a variety of reasons, including poor absorption, renal wasting, increased excretion due to stress or low nutritional intake.

No matter what the reason, past research has demonstrated migraine sufferers are more likely to suffer from magnesium deficiency.

There have been other studies supporting the finding that migraine sufferers are more likely to be deficient in riboflavin, CoQ10 and vitamin D. Finding deficiencies in riboflavin and CoQ10 and positive results from supplementation lends support to the theory that migraines are a mitochondrial disorder.

If you suffer from migraines, you know they are exacerbated by exposure to light. Many people become photosensitive during a migraine attack and are forced to lie down in a dark room to manage the pain. A study from Harvard Medical School found even blind migraine sufferers who still had melanopsin receptors were sensitive to light.

Within full spectrum light is a blue wavelength. Many digital devices and LED light sources emit mostly blue light. Research has found that this light increases your migraine pain and activates your trigeminal nerve, associated with the pain of migraines.

Although you may be considering supplements, it is important you receive as many vitamins from your diet as possible before supplementation. Your body can metabolize and absorb vitamins from your diet more effectively and efficiently than from supplements. You are also more likely to absorb the vitamins you need in the form your body can use.

In addition to adding these foods to your daily diet, it's important you look for non-genetically modified (non-GMO), organic and pastured products to reduce your exposure to toxins and additional stressors.

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