Nutrition for Today: Is your diet giving you a headache?

Some people suffer from chronic headaches. Others get them occasionally for no obvious reason. There are many reasons people get headaches, but often these seemingly unexplained headaches are due to dietary factors that people may not be aware of.

A common cause of headaches is dehydration. Just a 3 percent drop in hydration is enough to cause symptoms, such as fatigue, “brain fog” and headaches.

When the body is dehydrated, the brain can temporarily contract or shrink from fluid loss. This causes the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain and resulting in a dehydration headache.

Aim to drink one-half ounce of water for every pound of body weight in order to assure adequate hydration.

Skipping meals or going too long between meals or snacks is another reason people get headaches.

When you skip a meal your blood sugar levels may drop to a level that causes your body to release hormones that can cause an increase in blood pressure and can narrow your arteries.

It’s a good idea to eat something every three to four hours throughout the day to achieve steady blood sugar levels.

Too much caffeine is often a culprit in causing headaches. Individuals differ in their tolerance for caffeine, but generally anything more than about 400 mg per day might lead to symptoms. One 8-ounce cup of coffee or two cups of tea average 100 mg of caffeine.

Abrupt caffeine withdrawal will also cause headaches, and can even trigger a migraine. Regular consumption of 100-200 mg of caffeine per day may result in dependence, and can cause a withdrawal headache when suddenly stopped.

If you’ve ever had to fast in the morning before surgery or blood work, you may have experienced a caffeine withdrawal headache.

Alcohol can often cause headaches. Many people have experienced a “morning after hangover,” which usually is accompanied by a headache, as a result of consuming too much alcohol. This can be avoided by limiting alcohol consumption to no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two drinks per day for men.

Sometimes, even a small amount of alcohol can be problematic. The products of fermentation in wine, beer and whiskey may trigger a headache in people who are especially sensitive.

Many people find that wine, especially red wine, is more prone to cause a headache. This is because some individuals are especially sensitive to the tannins and sulfites present in wine.

Headaches may be a symptom of gluten sensitivity. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. A very small percentage of the population has the genetic-based illness called celiac disease, in which they are unable to tolerate even very small amounts of gluten.

Headaches are also often a complaint in those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy. A strict gluten-free diet often helps in this case.

The most common foods that are more likely to cause headaches are aged cheeses, cured meats, dark chocolate, red wine, smoked meats, pickled foods and nuts.

The best way to identify food triggers is to follow an elimination diet. First, you’ll want to keep a record of everything you eat and drink, and note the days when you get a headache.

Note whether you have eaten any of the same foods on the days you get headaches.  Then you can eliminate the most likely culprits for a period of a few weeks.

If your symptoms go away, you know it was something you eliminated. Then you’ll slowly introduce back one food at a time, no more than one food item per week, and note whether it has an effect.

Susie Bond is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist with Health First Pro-Health & Fitness Center. Contact her at susie.bond @health-first.org.