Food Sources Of B Vitamins + Folic Acid
Folic Acid:
Menon, S. , Lea, R. A., Ingle, S. , Sutherland, M. , Wee, S. , Haupt, L. M., Palmer, M. and Griffiths, L. R. , Effects of Dietary Folate Intake on Migraine Disability and Frequency. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 55: 301-309. doi:10.1111/head.12490
Vitamin B6: Vegetables, fruits, beans, poultry, and fish are good sources of vitamin B6. It is primarily found in dark leafy greens, oranges, papayas, and even cantaloupes.
Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal products . People who follow a plant-based diet are often found to be deficient in this vitamin. Hence, such people need to increase their consumption of cereals, soy, and rice milk, which are rich in vitamin B12.
Vitamin B2: A lot of foods contain vitamin B2. Some foods rich in it are milk, yogurt, spinach, almonds, tomatoes, and beef.
No Evidence For An Association Of Vitamin D Deficiency And Migraine: A Systematic Review Of The Literature
Giuseppe Lippi
1Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, Academic Hospital of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
2U.O. Diagnostica Ematochimica, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, 14 Via Gramsci, 43126 Parma, Italy
3Emergency Department, Academic Hospital of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
4Service of Clinical Governance, General Hospital of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy
Abstract
1. Introduction
The generic term vitamin D comprehends a number of fat-soluble secosteroids that exert a multitude of biological functions in vertebrates. In humans, the most important compounds are represented by ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol . The former molecule is not constitutively produced by plants or vertebrates but mainly originates from phytoplankton, fungi, and invertebrates. At variance with ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol is actively synthesized in humans and can also be assumed with the diet by ingestion of animal sources, especially liver, fish, eggs, or yolks .
As such, the aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the current scientific literature about the potential epidemiological association between serum vitamin D and migraine.
2. Search Criteria
3. Overview on Epidemiological Data
4. Conclusions
Vitamin D Chronic Migraine And Extracranial Pain: Is There A Link Data From An Observational Study
- 1Neurology and Stroke Unit, ASST Sette Laghi di Varese, Varese, Italy
- 2Endocrine Unit, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- 3Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- 4Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities, Center of Research in Medical Pharmacology, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- 5Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- 6Department of Biotechnologies and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
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How Does Low Vitamin D Cause Headaches
According to the 2020 Nutrients article, vitamin D deficiency can cause migraines and other headaches through multiple pathways. Too little vitamin D can cause inflammation, make some neurons more sensitive, change brain chemical levels, increase Nitric Oxide formation, decrease Magnesium absorption, and decrease melatoninall of which can cause headaches.
Comparison Of Demographics And Clinical Data According To Sex And Chronicity
Vitamin D deficiency was observed more frequently in females than in males , although the difference was not statistically significant . In subgroup analysis, males with vitamin D deficiency tended to have higher VAS and PSQI scores than those without deficiency . In subgroup multivariate analysis after adjusting for age, season , and migraine subtype , vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with more monthly days with headache in females but not in males .
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Patients And Clinical Demographics
There were 494 adult patients with migraine who were registered in the headache records between January 2016 to May 2017, of which 154 had an incomplete response or absent questionnaire, 162 had no assessment of the vitamin D level, and 21 had an interval between the assessment and vitamin D testing of longer than 1 month, and so were excluded, resulting in 157 migraineurs being included in this study . The sex distribution, number of days of migraine attacks per month, VAS score, and season distribution did not differ between the included and excluded patients, but the frequency of chronic migraine was higher and that of probable migraine was lower in the included patients .
Flowchart outlining patient inclusion.
The 157 included patients were aged 37.0±8.6 years , and 75.2% of them were female. They were classified into migraine without aura , migraine with aura , chronic migraine , and probable migraine according to the ICHD-3 classification. The vitamin D level was 15.9±7.4 ng/mL. The frequency of vitamin D deficiency was observed in 121 migraineurs , and was more common in spring and winter than in summer and autumn . Based on a < 30 ng/mL cutoff for serum vitamin D, 149 migraineurs were considered to have vitamin D insufficiency.
Side Effects Requiring Immediate Medical Attention
Along with its needed effects, ascorbic acid may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor as soon as possible if any of the following side effects occur while taking ascorbic acid:
Less common or rare
- Side or lowerback pain
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Comparison Of Demographics And Clinical Factors According To Presence Of Vitamin D Deficiency
The demographics, headache characteristics, and accompanying problems did not differ significantly between migraineurs with and without vitamin D deficiency, with the exception of the seasonal distribution. The number of monthly days with headache tended to be higher in patients with vitamin D deficiency than in those without deficiency . The temperature, relative humidity, and total sunshine hours of the months in which the vitamin D concentration was measured were lower in those with vitamin D deficiency than in those without deficiency . When dichotomizing seasons into summer/autumn and winter/spring, the serum vitamin D level was negatively correlated with the HIT-6 score in summer/autumn but not in winter/spring .
Are Vitamin Deficiencies The Secret Cause Of Migraines
Many different factors can cause migraines. From TMJ and bruxism to hormone imbalances, theres not one simple cause. A new theory suggests that certain vitamin deficiencies cause migraines. Its not uncommon for vitamin deficiencies to affect certain areas of the body. Based on studies, learn if a vitamin deficiency causes your migraines.
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Vitamins B6 B12 And Folic Acid
Menon, S., Nasir, B., Avgan, N., Ghassabian, S., Oliver, C., Lea, R., Griffiths, L. . The effect of 1 mg folic acid supplementation on clinical outcomes in female migraine with aura patients. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 17, 60. http://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-016-0652-7
Experts recommend an average of 400 milligrams of B complex a day. Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is also essential for the body, as it provides energy, through the metabolism of fats. Deficiency of this vitamin can hinder the normal functioning of the body, and may even trigger a Migraine attack.
Vitamin Deficiency And Migraines
There are multiple causes of migraine headaches. From hormonal imbalance to medications and certain smells to bruxism, it becomes difficult to pinpoint the factors that could trigger a migraine attack. Research also suggests that certain vitamin deficiencies can result in frequent migraine headaches. As they are essential nutrients that play a crucial role in body processes and health, insufficient intake of vitamins affects vital areas of the body.
Getting enough vitamins is essential to maintaining a healthy and active body. Incorporating these nutrients in your daily diet nourishes the body and keeps you fit for a long time. It also works hard to prevent various ailments and disorders like headaches and migraines that become tough to deal with.
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Does Riboflavin Help Prevent Migraine Attacks
If youâre probably getting enough riboflavin from your diet, shouldnât you already be getting all of its migraine prevention benefits? Not exactly.
In studies of riboflavinâs effect on migraine headaches, participants are typically asked to take a lot more riboflavin than youâre likely to get from your dietâ400 mg. At that dose, riboflavin has been shown to reduce the number of migraines people experienced each month, although not enough research has been done to know how or why it works.
The evidence for riboflavinâs effectiveness is far from overwhelmingâthere have only been a few clinical trialsâbut the Canadian Headache Society still recommends it for prevention of migraine because the potential for negative side effects is low.
Measurement And Analysis Of Vitamin D
The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is used to assess the vitamin D status. Nonfasting levels of serum 25D were measured using a chemiluminescence immunoassay . The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 1.72.8% and 2.74.1%, respectively. The assay was standardized against NIST Standard Reference Material 2972 and certified by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention Vitamin D Standardization Program.25 Vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency were defined as < 20, 20 and < 30, and 30 ng/mL 25D, respectively.6,26 The month and year were recorded for when the vitamin D test was performed.
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Dietary Intake Of Calcium And Magnesium In Relation To Severe Headache Or Migraine
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
Background: Migraine is a common neurological disorder and is affected by nutrients. Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that play an important role in nerve function. So we investigated the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine.
Methods: We extracted 10,798 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys of America in 1999 to 2004. We classified patients who reported having severe headache or migraine as having possible migraine. Multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline regression were conducted to determine the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine.
Results: We found that the adjusted ORs of the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine for comparing the highest quintile intake with the lowest quintile intake were 0.77 and 0.69 , respectively. For women, the adjusted ORs of dietary calcium and magnesium were 0.72 and 0.62 , respectively. For men, the adjusted OR was 0.71 comparing the highest and the lowest quintile of calcium intake, but there was no statistically significant association between dietary magnesium intake and migraine. Joint analyses showed that the OR in the high-calcium and high-magnesium group was 0.74 compared with the low-calcium and low-magnesium group in women.
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When Should I Seek Immediate Help Or Contact My Healthcare Provider
- You are experiencing the worst headache of my life.
- You are having neurologic symptoms that youve never had before, including speaking difficulty, balance problems, vision problems, mental confusion, seizures or numbing/tingling sensations.
- Your headache comes on suddenly.
- You have a headache after experiencing a head injury.
Schedule a visit with your healthcare provider if:
- The number or severity of your headaches increase or your headache pattern changes.
- Your medications no longer seem to be working or youre experiencing new or different side effects.
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What Do Hormonal Headaches Feel Like
Hormonal headaches are hard to miss. They may last for as long as 72 hours. The symptoms of a hormonal headache or migraine can include:
- Head pain
- Throbbing pain on one side of the head
- Nausea and vomiting
- Aura
- Light, smell, and sound sensitivity
Additionally, you can have such symptoms as:
- Sweating and chills
- Bigger appetite or a loss of it
- Constipation
- Cravings for certain food like chocolate
- Mood swings
- Problems with coordination
Tension headaches may produce similar symptoms. However, they are also associated with a feeling of a tight band around your head while migraines feel more like throbbing and pounding.
To check if the headaches you are getting are related to hormones, you can consider keeping a symptom diary for several months. If you discover a link, this diary can help you find the point of the cycle when you start getting headaches. This information can be helpful when setting up treatment.
What They Are Used For
A dietary supplement is a product that contains ingredients to supplement your diet. The dietary ingredients in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes. People take supplements for a variety of reasons, but usually to boost their diet or to try and help with their health.
Many people with migraine try supplements to help their symptoms. There are many different supplements that claim to be helpful for migraine and headache. However, there is limited evidence about how effective these are. Only a few have some evidence to show potential benefit including riboflavin , magnesium and Co-enzyme Q10.
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Can Vitamins Make You Feel Worse Before You Feel Better
Have you ever taken vitamins, only to feel ill after taking them?? The way theyre absorbed into the body is often the reason you dont overthink it. LloydsPharmacy pharmacist, Anshu Kaura, says vitamin C tablets are the worst kind of drug to take, as they cause people to become nauseous or even physically sick after taking them.
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What Deficiency Causes Headaches
In some cases, a vitamin deficiency leads to a worsening of headaches or even migraines. Studies have shown that a diet deficient in vitamins and minerals like vitamin D, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, and vitamin B12, could contribute to frequent migraines and other health issues.
Similarly one may ask, what deficiencies cause migraines?
4 Nutrient Deficiencies that Could be Causing your Headaches
- Dehydration. Water, water everywhere, but yet if we fail to drink enough it can spark a headache.
- Magnesium Deficiency. Neurologist Dr.
- Fight Deficiency with Diet. Low levels of magnesium may contribute to migraines, according to Chris Kozmor, RN, M.
- Vitamin D Deficiency.
- Vitamin B2 Deficiency.
One may also ask, does low b12 cause headaches? A deficiency in B12 can cause an array of symptoms. They usually develop gradually but can worsen if the condition goes untreated. One common symptom of B12 deficiency is headaches.
Besides, which vitamins cause headaches?
The excessive ingestion of fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin A and D, and some water-soluble vitamins, including the various B vitamins and vitamin C, has the potential for serious side effects. Niacin may cause headaches.
Can lack of vitamins cause migraines?
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Vitamins B6 B9 And B12
The flavoenzyme 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase regulates the flow of folate between the production of nucleotides and the supply of methyl groups during methionine synthesis and has major effects on the distribution of intracellular folate . MTHFR also plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of migraine and hyperhomocysteinemia. The MTHFR enzyme encoded by MTHFR catalyzes the reduction of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, an ethyl group donor to the intermediary metabolite homocysteine during its metabolism to methionine. Methionine is used in the synthesis of the universal methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine. Upon donation of the methyl group, S-adenosylmethionine is converted to S-adenosylhomocysteine, which is subsequently hydrolyzed to homocysteine and adenosine .
Hyperhomocysteinemia is caused by abnormal methionine biosynthesis due to deficiencies in folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 . Folate is also needed to drive the methionine synthesis pathway, as a lack of dietary folate and/or reduced MTHFR enzymatic activity can result in increased homocysteine levels in blood plasma . This relationship makes homocysteine a key intermediate in one-carbon metabolism and further clarifies the involvement of B vitamins in transferring one-carbon units and their relation to the plasma concentrations of total homocysteine .
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Vitamin D And Your Body
At one time, low vitamin D levels were thought to cause only the bone-weakening disease . Now, increasing evidence suggests low levels affect almost every system of the body, including the brain.
Though research to prove that low vitamin D causes is ongoing, several recent studies shed some light on the link. A report presented at a meeting of the American Headache Society found that 40% of people with migraines had low vitamin D levels. Those with deficiencies also developed migraines earlier in life.
Another study, in the Journal of Headache , shows migraines are more common at higher latitudes. This fact, and the pattern of migraine pain by season, suggests that the headaches strike where sun exposure is decreased and vitamin D levels reduced. Population studies report that about 42% of US adults have abnormally low levels of Vitamin D.
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New Research Has Linked Vitamin Deficiency With Migraines
A recent study has found that vitamins B6, B12 – and folic acid supplements – can lead to a reduction in migraines over the course of six months. Research has found that increased levels of homocysteine can lead to a certain gene mutation or dysfunction making some people more prone to migraines. Homocysteine can be reduced with the help of vitamins B6 and B12.
The appropriate dose of these vitamins depends on your genotype. Among other health benefits, Folic acid is good for blood health, regulating and increasing the production of red blood cells toprevent anemia. Folic acid also stabilizes and regulates blood pressure levels by relaxing the blood vessels so as to reduce the risks of both high and low blood pressure. It also improves brain development and functioning.
Folic acid is found in 4 of the main food groups:
- Meat liver, chicken giblets, kidney and egg yolk.
- Legumes dried beans, lentils, split peas, soya products, almonds and other nuts.
- Starches wholegrain breads, wheat flour, potatoes and sweet potato.
- Fruit and Vegetables spinach, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, banana, oranges and peaches.