
The theory of food intolerances being a causative factor for some types of migraine headaches is not a new one.
In fact, research into dietary causes of migraine has been conducted since the early 1900s, and more recent research demonstrates that around 25 percent of migraine sufferers can identify a link between a food they have eaten and the onset of their headache.
A recent study set out to assess the efficacy of a form of testing for food intolerances called Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA). This test measures specific antibodies for particular foods, and if accurate could help migraine sufferers know which foods to avoid to reduce their chances of getting a migraine.
The study recruited 167 migraine sufferers and tested them for IgG antibodies for 113 specific foods. The participants were then split to receive dietary advice to either avoid the foods that showed up as an intolerance in their assay (ie. a ‘true ‘ elimination diet), or they were asked to avoid the same amount of foods, but not the ones that showed up in their assay (ie. a ‘sham’ elimination diet).
Results showed after 12 weeks there was no significant differences between the two groups. However, a secondary analysis found there was a significant reduction in headache days after four weeks in those on the ‘true’ elimination diet, compared to those on the ‘sham’ diet (a reduction of 23% over 4 weeks).
Although these results are a little confounding, the authors conclude that it could be a result of study design, and believe that these positive findings warrant further investigation into both the validity of the Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA), and the theory of food intolerances being a causative factor for migraines.
References available on request