Pain in the Brain - various natural remedies for headaches are suggested, including the anti-headache diet, but a physician should be consuted first to be sure no serious medical problem is involved

Vegetarian Times, Sept, 1999 by Karen Good

Another headache? Explore the range of nutritional, herbal and homeopathic treatments available to bring relief

When you're in the throes of what feels like a cranial meltdown, what wouldn't you give to find a natural cure that works? Nearly everyone suffers from at least one headache a year, according to the American Council on Headache Education (ACHE). And for more than 45 million sufferers, says the newly formed Council on Headache Research, Education and Quality of Life, those headaches are chronic and intense.

ACHE classifies headaches as either primary or secondary. Primary headaches result from any number of factors, except an underlying medical condition. Primaries account for 90 percent of all headaches and include the best-known types: tension, migraine and cluster. Secondary headaches are caused by illnesses ranging from high blood pressure to brain tumors. So before trying any natural remedies on your own, consult your physician to rule out a serious medical problem.

Tension headaches are by far the most common variety. They are marked by a tightening of muscles in the face, head and neck, and they produce a dull, steady pain over the whole head. Much less common is the cluster headache, about 85 percent of which affect men. ACHE says these extremely painful but brief "bunches" of headaches may strike over a period of weeks or a month. They usually center around one eye, may be accompanied by nasal congestion and often occur at the same time each day. Migraines, on the other hand, primarily afflict women, who represent 75 percent of the 30 million sufferers. These intense, excruciating headaches are frequently accompanied by vision disturbances, sensitivity to light and noise, and nausea and vomiting. They may be triggered by certain foods, odors or weather changes. Some migraines are related to the menstrual cycle and occur as estrogen levels drop during the days prior to and during menstruation.

THE ANTI-HEADACHE DIET

Your first line of defense against headaches is a good diet. Try eating six small meals at regular intervals to keep blood sugar levels stable and ensure that you're getting an adequate supply of the vitamins and minerals identified below. Keep track of what you eat in a diary as well as when headaches strike. Eliminate all suspect foods. Then, systematically, reintroduce each one to determine whether it is triggering your headache.

Even if certain foods seem to be setting off headaches, that doesn't necessarily mean you have a food allergy. "Most headaches are not caused by allergies but rather by another kind of chemical response in the body," says Cleveland-based nutritionist Kristine M. Napier, M.P.H., R.D., L.D., author of Eat to Heal: The Phytochemical Diet and Nutrition Plan (Warner Books, 1998). "Food allergies are an immune system response to a protein in food, which is seldom associated with headache."

It is, however, wise to steer clear of trigger foods, especially if you're a migraine sufferer. Common problem foods include aged cheese, red wine, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and chocolate.

Foods that aid the body in its fight against pain include chili peppers and fresh tart cherries (ideal dose: 20 a day). Capsaicin, the substance that gives fresh and dried peppers their bite, seems to stop cluster headaches, while anthocyanins, a natural pigment in red cherries, may help prevent tension headaches, according to a Michigan State University study published in the Journal of Natural Products (February, 1999).

Supplements that have proven helpful in warding off headaches include vitamin [B.sub.2] (riboflavin), magnesium and calcium. Napier says [B.sub.2] is particularly effective in preventing migraines. Although the RDA is 1.3 milligrams (mg.), a study originally published in 1994 and revisited in the journal Neurology earlier this year suggested that a 400 mg. megadose is the appropriate amount for warding off migraines.

Magnesium works best to prevent menstrual migraines. Eating magnesium-rich foods, such as apricots, milk, bananas and wheat bran can help, although if you're concerned that you're not getting enough magnesium in your diet, take 500 mg. of a magnesium supplement beginning one week prior to and during menstruation. For general migraine prevention, a daily dose of 600 mg. may also prove effective, according to a study published this year in a German medical journal.

Supplemental magnesium is best absorbed and utilized by the body when taken in conjunction with calcium. Your total daily calcium intake--from food sources and supplements--should be at least 1,000 mg. if you're under 50 and 1,200 mg. if you're 50 or older. Premenopausal women usually find that their menstrual migraines worsen if they are deficient in calcium.

A PLANT FOR EVERY PAIN

There is a cornucopia of herbs available to treat headaches. The simplest and gentlest way to get started with herbal remedies is teas. Chanchal Cabrera, AHG, MNIMH, and owner of Gaia Garden Herbal Dispensary and Clinic in Vancouver, B.C., suggests drinking a cup of lemon balm or chamomile tea when you feel a headache setting in. You may also want to try soaking in a warm bath with a few drops of lavender essential oil added. "Lavender oil can be calming and can relieve the stress and pain," says Cabrera. You can also dab it on temples and forehead at the onset of a headache.