Diet for Headache Patients

This list of foods may provoke headaches in some people. This list should be used in collaboration with your Headache Diary. If you consistently get a headache after eating any of the foods listed, it would be wise to avoid those particular foods fo a period of 2-4 weeks. Then slowly begin reintroducing the food(s)one at a time to see if they have an affect of causing a headache for you.

Headaches may also be triggered by chronobiologic factors (sleep schedules), hormonal changes, environmental factors, head or neck pain (of another cause), physical exertion, stress and anxiety and trauma to the head. Dietary factors such as alcohol and tyramine containing foods are also known triggers. Tyramine is an essential amino acid made in the body. It is a protien found in foods, which is chemically broken down and used by various cells in the body. Tyramine cannot be found on food labels, but it's sister chemical phenylalanine can and should be avoided.

Food Groups	Foods Allowed	Foods to Watch/Caution
Beverages	Decaffeinated coffee and colas Caffeine sources should be limited to 2 cups a day including coffee, tea, colas Fruit juices, club soda	Wine (especially red) Beer Vermouth Champagne Non-alcoholic fermented beverages
Milk	Whole 2% Skim	Chocolate Buttermilk
Dairy Products	Cottage cheese Velveeta, American or synthetic cheese Yogurt in 1/2 cup preparations or less	Ice Cream Aged or processed cheeses including cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, brick, brie, camembert, gouda, gruyere, emmantaler, stilton, provolone, roquefort, blue food containing cheese such as pizza, macaroni and cheese, yogurt and sour cream
Meats, Poultry, Fish	Freshly prepared meats, fish, poultry Eggs Tuna fish	Aged, dried, salted, smoked, cured or processed meats and those containing nitrates Pickled, dried or smoked herring Chicken livers Sausage, bacon, salami, pepperoni, bologna, hot dogs, pates, liverwurst, and marinated meats Any meat prepared with tenderizers
Vegetables	Asparagus, string beans, beets, carrots, spinach, pumpkin, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, broccoli, potatoes, onions cooked in foods, Chinese pea pods, navy beans, soy beans	Raw onions, fava or broad beans, lima beans, pea pods, snow peas, pickles, olives, sauerkraut
Fruits	Apples, applesauce, cherries, apricots, peaches	Limit to 1/2 cup per day: oranges, grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon, lime, avocados, bananas, figs, raisins, dried fruits, papaya, passion fruit, plums
Breads, Cereals	Commercially prepared yeast products leavened with baking powder such as biscuits, pancakes, coffee cakes, etc. All cooked and dry cereals All pasta	Homemade yeast breads Fresh coffee cake Donuts Yeast and yeast extracts Sourdough breads Breads or crackers containing cheese, chocolate and nuts
Flavor Enhancers / Food Preservatives		Foods containing MSG, nitrates, nitrites, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, Chinese foods, Instant foods such as canned soup, TV dinners Processed meats Potato chips Self-basting turkeys Many boxed food items
Nuts and Seeds		All nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds

Appointments

The St. John Providence Health System Chronic Headache and Migraine Institute is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m to 5:00 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please call (248) 967-7988.