Food, Farming and Nutrition
Food, Farming and Nutrition
Migraine Help from Omega-3 Fatty Acids
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The frequency and severity of migraine headaches, which affect about 12% of Americans, appear to be reduced with consumption of diets higher in omega-3 fatty acids, according to a study published recently in the BMJ.
At stake is the source of the fatty acids. Fatty fish contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are key to reducing headache pain. But modern diets tend to be low in these omega-3 fatty acids and high in the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid, which is found in vegetable oils. Fatty acids are converted into oxylipins; those derived from EPA and DHA reduce pain while those from linoleic acid may increase it.
The modified double-blind study, conducted at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, involved 182 people who experienced migraines between 5 and 20 days a month. Participants were randomly assigned one of three diets for 16 weeks: one had increased EPA and DHA, and linoleic acid equal to the average US intake; the second group had increased EPA and DHA and reduced linoleic acid; the control group consumed a diet that matched the average US intake of EPA, DHA, and linoleic acid. Only the dietician in the randomized controlled trial knew which diet participants were following.
Participants kept a daily headache diary and took a headache questionnaire at the beginning and end of the study. Those who received the modified diets had fewer total hours of headache, fewer hours of moderate-to-severe headache per day, and fewer headache days each month than the control group. The group that consumed decreased linoleic acid had fewer headache days per month than the group with average linoleic acid intake.
Study data therefore indicates that increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA can reduce both severity and frequency of headaches and that reducing linoleic acid may lead to further improvements.
According to the researchers, the study demonstrated that dietary changes can treat pain, opening the door to new pain management approaches.
REFERENCES
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2021, July 3). Diets higher in omega-3 fatty acids reduce headache frequency and severity in people with frequent migraines. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/research-results/diets-higher-in-omega-3-fatty-acids-reduce-headache-frequency-and-severity-in-people-with-frequent-migraines?
