title: Food allergies and migraine.
abstract: 60 migraine patients completed elimination diets after a 5-day period of withdrawal from their normal diet. 52 (87%) of these patients had been using oral contraceptive steroids, tobacco, and/or ergotamine for an average of 3 years, 22 years, and 7.4 years respectively. The commonest foods causing reactions were wheat (78%), orange (65%), eggs (45%), tea and coffee (40% each), chocolate and milk (37%) each), beef (35%), and corn, cane sugar, and yeast (33% each). When an average of ten common foods were avoided there was a dramatic fall in the number of headaches per month, 85% of patients becoming headache-free. The 25% of patients with hypertension became normotensive. Chemicals in the home environment can make this testing difficult for outpatients. Both immunological and non-immunological mechanisms may play a part in the pathogenesis of migraine caused by food intolerance.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D002099:Cacao / Q000009:adverse effects; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000009:adverse effects; D002417:Cattle; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects; D004531:Eggs / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000150:complications*; D005638:Fruit / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects; D013662:Tea / Q000009:adverse effects; D014908:Triticum / Q000009:adverse effects; D015002:Yeast, Dried / Q000009:adverse effects; D003313:Zea mays / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D002241:Carbohydrates; D003069:Coffee; D013662:Tea