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Think you are eating healthy but still getting migraines?
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Today we are uncovering 5 hidden food compounds that could be quietly triggering your attacks
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and how to finally spot them on the ingredient labels.
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Welcome to the Migraine Heroes podcast.
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A podcast for people living with chronic migraines, years of pain, misunderstanding and no answers.
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I'm Diane Ducarme and I've helped more than a thousand people reduce the burden of migraines
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and feel more in control.
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Each episode brings you grounded insights into what your body might be asking for and
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what can truly help.
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Before we dive in, a quick reminder,
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over the past few weeks I've been personally holding our 90-minute migraine sessions.
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And once again, I've seen how powerful it is when someone's migraine finally begins to
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There's a shift that happens in those conversations.
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You can feel it, clarity settles in, the uncertainty softens.
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And from there, real change becomes possible.
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These sessions are offered at no cost for anyone who reserves before end of March.
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If you've been considering it or waiting for the right moment, this might be it.
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Click on the link in the show notes or download the Migraine Heroes app, complete your Getting
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Started steps and you'll see how to reserve your session.
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Now take a deep breath and let's dive in.
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In this episode, you'll learn how to identify five common but hidden migraine-triggering
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compounds that are often disguised under different names on food labels, why these compounds
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affect the migraine brain differently, and how to tell if you're personally sensitive
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And a simple, empowering strategy to scan labels under 30 seconds so you can shop with confidence
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Stay with me till the end because you will walk away knowing exactly what to look for
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on labels and you might recognize one hidden trigger you have been missing for years in
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If you've ever felt like you were doing everything right, drinking water, eating balanced meals,
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avoiding obvious junk food, and yet the migraines still come, it can feel deeply, deeply unfair.
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And you start questioning yourself, is it stress?
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And yes, those matter, they fundamentally matter.
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But sometimes, the issue is quieter, smaller, hidden in plain sight on the back of a food
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And so I want to explore with you five compounds that science has linked to migraine in susceptible
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The first one is monosodium glutamate and free glutamates.
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So monosodium glutamate, often called MSG, is actually a flavor enhancer used widely
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in processed foods.
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But glutamate also appears naturally in hydrolyzed proteins, yeast extract, soy protein isolate,
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or even natural flavors.
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Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter.
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In migraine, the brain is already in a state of heightened excitability, and research published
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in Nature Reviews Neurology describes migraine as a disorder of sensory processing involving
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abnormal glutamatergic transmission.
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And it has been proven, studies in headache have shown that ingestion of MSG can provoke
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headaches in susceptible individuals.
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So I've lived for five years in Shanghai, in China, and I definitely developed an intolerance
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I would wake up sharp at 1am each time I'd have it and review in my mind what I had had
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So what's the mechanism?
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Excess glutamate may increase neuronal firing, contributing to cortical spreading
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depression, a wave of neuronal depolarization linked to migraine aura, and enhance trigeminovascular
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Now, what to look for on your labels?
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Look for monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, analyzed yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein,
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soy protein isolate, and natural flavors.
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So a lot of different and misleading labels here.
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So the second one are nitrates and nitrites.
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So they're common in processed meats, such as deli meats, bacon, sausages, and research
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published in Cephalalgia highlights nitric oxide as a key molecule in migraine pathophysiology.
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Nitric oxide donors are known to trigger migraine attacks in clinical research models.
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Nitrates convert into nitric oxide in the body, and nitric oxide is a vasodilator and
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activates pain pathways in the trigeminal system.
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What are your cues in terms of labels?
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Look for sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, celery powder, often used in natural quote unquote
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cured meats, but still a nitrate source.
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So some tough one to recognize, I have to say.
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So the third one are artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame.
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Aspartame is found in diet sodas, sugar-free gum, and many low-calorie products.
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A double-blind crossover study published in Neurology shows that aspartame triggered headaches
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in self-reported sensitive individuals.
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So what's the mechanism hypothesis here is that aspartame breaks down into phenylalanine,
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aspartic acid, and methanol.
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And these influence neurotransmitter balance, particularly serotonin and dopamine pathways,
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which are central in migraine.
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So what clues to look for in your labels?
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Look for aspartame, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, sugar-free, and anything
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The fourth food compound linked to migraine is tyramine.
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Tyramine is a naturally occurring compound formed from the breakdown of tyrosine, and
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it increases as foods age or ferment.
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And a review in the Journal of Headache and Pain discussed biogenic amine, including tyramine,
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as potential migraine triggers.
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So what's the mechanism?
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Tyramine can influence catecholamine release and blood vessel tone.
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Individuals with reduced monoamine oxidase activity may be more susceptible.
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So what are high tyramine foods?
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They're like aged cheese, cured meat, fermented soy, wine.
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Labeled clues to look for are fermented, aged, or cultured.
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So here you're not looking for a food compound, you're looking for a food compound that is
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naturally occurring inside the food, and so won't be labeled.
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The fifth food compound triggering migraine is histamine.
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The histamine is involved in immune responses and also acts as a neurotransmitter.
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A study in Headache found that low histamine-degrading enzyme activity was more common in individuals
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So the mechanism is the following.
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Histamine promotes vasodilation and inflammation,
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and people with reduced diamine oxidase activity may struggle to break it down.
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High histamine foods are like wine, fermented foods, vinegar, leftovers, and leftovers stored
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The clues to look for on labels are fermented, vinegar, wine extract, or kombucha.
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Yes, that one, definitely a trigger.
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So migraine is a neurological sensitivity condition.
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It's not about willpower, it's about threshold.
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These compounds may not affect everyone, but in a sensitized brain, they can push you just
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If we go east for a minute, in traditional Chinese medicine, migraines are very rarely
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viewed as a single isolated event.
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They are seen as a manifestation of internal imbalances, involving what is called liver
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yang rising, liver qi stagnation, phlegm, damp accumulation. And the food is not just
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looked at in terms of calories, it carries energetic properties.
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Fermented, aged, and processed foods are often considered heating or damp producing, and
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when the liver system is already constrained from stress, frustration, overwork, adding
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heating foods can cause yang to rise upward, leading to throbbing headaches, irritability,
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red eyes, and sensitivity to light.
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There's an old saying in Chinese medicine that when the qi flows freely, there is no
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pain, and when there's blockage, there is pain. And so
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from this lens, tyramine-rich aged foods may create internal heat, nitrate-processed meats
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may contribute to blood stagnation, artificial additives may disrupt the spleen, which governs
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digestion and transformation.
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And then, if the spleen is weakened, perhaps from irregular eating, cold foods, or excessive
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worry, dampness is going to accumulate.
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So think heavy fluids, okay?
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Then it's going to transform into phlegm.
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Phlegm can rise to the head, clouding clarity and triggering pain.
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Ayurveda similarly speaks of ama, undigested residues that accumulate when digestion is
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Processed and chemically altered foods are considered difficult to digest energetically,
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increasing internal toxicity and inflammation.
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So the Eastern approach does not isolate one molecule. It asks, is your system overwhelmed?
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Is your digestive fire strong?
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Is your stress stagnating your liver energy?
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Magrine becomes not just a reaction, but a signal.
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So what actionable advice can you do today?
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So tonight, go to your kitchen and pick three packaged foods you eat regularly.
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Turn them around. Slowly read the ingredient list and circle or note any of the following
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words, monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, nitrate, nitrite, aspartame, fermented aged
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vinegar, or any of the other words we've talked about.
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Don't hesitate to listen to the podcast one more time if you hesitate. These podcasts
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are made short for exactly that purpose.
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If you find one, do not panic. Simply observe.
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Awareness is step one. Then choose just one swap this week. Perhaps a nitrate-free protein
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or removing a diet soda. And track how you feel for seven days.
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Small experiments can create more clarity.
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And remember, every small step you take moves you closer to freedom.
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You are powerful, you are resilient, and you are no longer alone.
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Keep rising, migraine hero.
