That Bacon Burger Might Cause Hangovers, Too
Let's not just blame the champagne from last night; new research indicates that certain foods can actually trigger headaches, or at least make them worse when paired with other symptoms.
Researchers are slowly coming to an agreement that foods might be a factor in headaches; a 2010 study from the journal Internartional Headache Society found that of 30 migraine patients, those who avoided certain foods had significantly fewer migraines. Pinpointing whether it's food or another factor is difficult, however, since other factors such as sleep and hydration also play a large role in health.
"I think the difficulty is that the triggers may be more a combined effect from different things. They can sometimes be a little bit hard to identify," Linda Porter, a pain-policy adviser at the National Institutes of Health, told the Wall Street Journal.
So what foods should you watch out for? Researchers blame tyramine, a natural chemical that occurs in foods that are aged or fermented. This means aged cheese, pickles, nuts, or miso might be problematic. Processed meats, citrus, soy products, caffeine, and obviously alcohol also might trigger headaches. And the ultimate trigger? MSG. So those instant ramen sessions after a night of bar-hopping? Might not be the best idea.