Does Your Head Hurt After Meals? Know About Food Items That Can Trigger Headaches

There are many potential reasons of headaches; however, did you realise that occasionally indulging in a favourite meal or drink might actually bring on a headache?

What does your diet consist of? It’s a vital inquiry since it may shed light on your health problems. Some meals, for instance, may be more likely to trigger headaches than others. Some of the foods can seem healthy at first glance, but don’t let appearances or flavour fool you. Your preferred alcoholic beverage or cheese might be the culprit of your chronic headaches.

There may be a strong hereditary component if you tend to suffer from headaches on a regular basis. Some foods may function as triggers for headaches, and the likelihood that they will do so increases the greater genetic predisposition a person has for developing headaches.

Headaches can be brought on by things beyond your control, such as the weather, a new perfume, or a bright light. The causes of your headache may be out of your control, but what you consume isn’t.

Headache-Inducing Foods and Drinks

• Red Wine

One must be careful with the serving size, since some people may have a headache after consuming even a single glass. Some people can only drink a few of glasses before they acquire a headache. A headache after consuming red wine is frequent, at least according to Harvard Health Publishing. But while there are various hypotheses connecting red wine with headaches, none of them have been verified.

Histamine, a chemical present in grape skins, may be responsible for the reaction, as suggested by one study. Since red wine utilises the entire grape, including the skin, it naturally contains more tannic acid than white wine.

Histamine is normally broken down by an enzyme in the small intestine, however certain people may be deficient in this enzyme. In addition to being an enzyme inhibitor, alcohol may also increase histamine levels in the blood. This might cause blood vessels to widen, which can lead to headaches.

• Cheese

It has tyramine, which is thought to narrow blood vessels and create a headache. Tyramine, a vasoactive amino acid contained in food, has been linked to headaches in certain persons, according to the National Headache Foundation.

• Chocolate

It’s possible that a single chocolate bar won’t trigger a headache. However, a box of them might. Chocolate includes tyramine, which may cause a severe headache if you consume more than four or five pieces.

• Milk

For those who have trouble digesting milk, headaches are a typical side effect. National Library of Medicine reports that researchers looked at the link between dairy intake and headaches in a large group of college students. The prevalence of students’ headaches was observed to be correlated directly with their dairy consumption.

• Citrus Fruits

They have octopamine, a headache-inducing chemical, in them. Sweet lime, oranges, lemons, and grapefruits can also give people who are sensitive to acids a headache.

• Sweeteners

Aspartame, the active ingredient in many artificial sweeteners, lowers dopamine levels and causes headaches.