Can Gluten Cause Migraines? The Surprising Truth
Gluten is from a family of proteins that are usually found in wheat, barley, oats, or rye. It can also be found in some medications and toothpaste. There can be a variety of reasons to avoid gluten. One of the most common reasons to avoid gluten is because people have celiac disease. Celiac disease is actually due to the formation of antibodies in the reaction of gluten. It is an autoimmune disorder. However, most are familiar with the digestive upsets gluten can cause, but we want to know, can gluten cause migraines?
What is a migraine?
It is an intense headache that lasts for an extended period, and it is caused by swollen blood vessels of the meninges in the brain. Meninges surround the brain and spinal cord, and when they become inflamed, that is what is referred to as meningitis.
It may feel like pressure in your head, and migraines can make you feel like you want to stay out of the light and away from the noise.
Magnesium is great for helping with head discomforts such as headaches or migraines.
Can Gluten Give You Headaches?
Gluten Headaches have a connection with celiac disease, too, as gluten headaches are the early symptoms of celiac disease. Gluten affects the nervous system of those people who have celiac disease.
People with this disease have to avoid gluten at all costs. Even a small amount of gluten can cause serious issues.
Another reason can be the intolerance to the protein called Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). It may be due to the intolerance of nutrients in the small intestine, which usually leads to diarrhea, weight loss, or bloating.
These are gastrointestinal symptoms.
Those people who have migraines usually experience sensory disturbances or pains, strange smells, fatigue, appetite loss, and other feelings of discomfort. These are the digestive issues that are common in people with NCGS
Many recent studies found strong associations between gluten and migraines. According to some studies, gluten can be a reason for migraines.
Not only can those with celiac disease, but it also affects the nervous system of those who have an intolerance to gluten. It means that gluten headaches are not only common in people with celiac disease but also in those who don’t have celiac disease but intolerant or sensitive to gluten.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity vs. Celiac Disease
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is different from celiac disease, but the symptoms are almost the same. A study suggested that 25% of people with gluten intolerance can show gluten headaches or gluten migraines.
Gluten headaches are more common in women as compared to men due to hormonal changes. 10% to 29% of women show gluten headaches during menopause, as was reported in a study.
Women in their 30s have been reported to show significant symptoms of NCGS, with the most common symptom which is gluten headaches.
The major causes of gluten headaches are still unknown, but it was suggested that it could be due to changes in blood vessels and nerves.
Usually, the symptoms are intestinal, but some symptoms can be outside of the intestines, which can be called extra-intestinal symptoms.
The connection between the brain and the gut plays a significant role in brain health, and this can be the case with these gluten headaches.
These symptoms, in their early onset, can be shown as headaches or migraines. These extra-intestinal symptoms include neurological symptoms i.e. brain fog, and it can also lead to systemic issues like fatigue or malaise.
Food sensitivities can cause these extra-intestinal symptoms.
The most common neurological symptom seen in people with NCGS is gluten headaches. A study in a journal reported that 56% of people with NCGS could have gluten headaches. The other symptoms can be brain fog, anxiety, or depression.
Systemic symptoms were also reported in people with NCGS. An Italian study suggested that 68% of people with gluten intolerance can feel fatigued or can be unwell. These symptoms develop between a few hours to a day of ingesting gluten.
According to the journal Headache, people with celiac disease, NCGS, and inflammatory bowel disease can have gluten headaches or migraines as compared to those without these conditions.
The sample of this study was 500, of which 188 were with celiac disease, 25 with NCGS, and 111 people with bowel disease. The results showed that 30% of people with celiac disease had gluten headaches, 56% of people with NCGS, and 23% of people with bowel disease had gluten headaches.
A recent study suggested that those with celiac disease or NCGS have a higher prevalence of gluten-related headaches.
Gluten Containing Foods
Foods containing gluten are typically wheat, bread and their byproducts.
Where can I get a gluten intolerance test?
There are some tests for celiac disease and NCGS. It includes simple blood tests to screen for celiac disease which include checking the presence of antibodies in the blood.
Additionally, there are food intolerance tests you can do at home that tell you if you are gluten-intolerant or not.
These tests can tell you if you are sensitive to environmental factors if you have increased metals in your system and other nutrient deficiencies you may have.
Biopsy of tissue from the small intestine can be done to diagnose celiac disease. Usually, the diagnosis process starts from the blood test which is tTG-IgA. It is an antibody test that shows whether the person has celiac disease or not and is eating gluten.
A food sensitivity test can be done at home. It can be done temporarily to eliminate food sensitivities at home. This test usually checks the antibody reactivity levels to food proteins including gluten. Through this test, you can suspect that whether gluten is the main cause of your headaches or not so that you can avoid gluten in your diet.
In-home urine or stool test can also be done to determine the presence of gluten in the past 24 to 48 hours if you face the symptoms of gluten intolerance. Some doctors also offer saliva tests but as mentioned above these tests are not validated.
For NCGS, usually, wheat allergy tests are done. Doctors also recommend testing for celiac disease. If the tests come negative it means you need to eliminate gluten from your diet. Gluten headaches usually improve from a gluten-free diet.
Other tests like the EMA test, Total serum IgA test, Deamidated gliadin peptide (DGP) test, and genetic testing can also be done to determine gluten intolerance. Endoscopy with biopsy can also be done.
Can going gluten-free help migraines?
There is evidence that “going gluten-free along with probiotic supplementation may inhibit the immune-inflammatory cascade in MDD course and improve both psychiatric and gut barrier-associated traits.” (Karakula-Juchnowicz et al., 2019)
In 2001, there was a paper published of ten celiac patients with headaches. Those celiac patients mostly had neurological symptoms. The results stated that seven out of ten celiac patients had improvements in their headaches after switching to a gluten-free diet.
Some studies found gluten-free diet can help people with celiac disease to reduce the severity of headaches. Nutrients like magnesium and B-12 can help to reduce headaches. Migraines can lead to anxiety as well, so I have written a post here about what deficiencies can cause anxiety and magnesium is one of the ones on the list.
There were significant results in children too. Those children who followed a gluten-free diet had a significant reduction in their headaches i.e. 69.2% and 71% of children found complete relief from headaches.
The duration i.e. how long will it take to feel better is still unclear but generally many people can feel better after a few days of taking gluten-free diets. Headaches can be clear up after few weeks and it can take some time to be on a complete relief.
Most people just think of bread being the only source of gluten, however, it is the most common but it is not the only. Soy sauce and even flavored chips could contain gluten!
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What Nutrients Help with a Headache or Migraine?
Magnesium is a commonly known mineral that is often used for Anxiety, as I have mentioned numerous times on my blog The Best Magnesium for Anxiety. In this case, the best magnesium for headaches is called Magnesium Threonate.
Why Magnesium Threonate works better than other forms for mental health and headaches:
- It crosses the blood-brain barrier
- Improves cognition in Alzheimer’s patients
- Can stimulate the growth of new brain cells
The reason Magnesium Threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier better than other forms of magnesium is because threonate is found in cerebrospinal fluid.
Studies have shown that cognition is improved in Alzheimer’s patients after 12 weeks of consuming Magnesium Threonate.
Butterbur helps relax the blood vessels that I mention swell when you have a migraine.
Life Extension is a brand I highly recommend because their products are thoroughly 3rd party tested, (I worked for them so I know) plus they have science to back up every single product they sell. They make a product with Butterbur, B2 and ginger in it to help fight inflammation and reduce swelling, it’s call Migra-eeze.
You can buy Migra-eeze here:
If you read all the way to the bottom, thank you for reading and make sure you check out my other blog posts in order to help you learn about supporting your mental health naturally!
References:
Karakula-Juchnowicz, H., Rog, J., Juchnowicz, D., ?oniewski, I., Skonieczna-?ydecka, K., Krukow, P., . . . Kaczmarczyk, M. (2019). The study evaluating the effect of Probiotic supplementation on the Mental status, inflammation, and INTESTINAL barrier in major depressive disorder patients using gluten-free or Gluten-containing Diet (sangut STUDY): A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, And placebo-controlled clinical study protocol. Nutrition Journal, 18(1). doi:10.1186/s12937-019-0475-x
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26519439/
Liu G, Weinger JG, Lu ZL, et al. Efficacy and Safety of MMFS-01, a Synapse Density Enhancer, for Treating Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2016;49(4):971-90.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32054443
Originally posted 2021-02-03 05:13:08.
Megan Santiago
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I am incessantly thought about this, thanks for posting. Lisa Tymon Aila