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A new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina Health Care shows how a diet change based on certain classes of fatty acids decreased headaches in patients over a 16-week period.
Published in The Journal BMJ, the study demonstrates an additional option that patients can use in their efforts to experience fewer migraines and headaches – a change in diet.
“Our ancestors ate very different amounts and types of fats from our modern diets,” said co-first author Daisy Zamora, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UNC at the Faculty of Medicine of the United States. ‘A C.
Daisy added: “Polyunsaturated fatty acids, which our bodies do not produce, have dramatically increased in our diets due to the addition of oils such as corn, soybeans and cottonseed to many processed foods like chips, crackers and granola. “
The classes of polyunsaturated fatty acids examined in this study are omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3). Both have important functions in our body but must be balanced because n-3 fatty acids have been shown to decrease inflammation and some n-6 derivatives promote pain.
However, due to the amount of processed foods eaten today, most people in the United States eat significantly more n-6 fatty acids and less n-3 fatty acids.
To see if the amount of these fatty acids in a person’s diet could impact headache pain, 182 patients currently diagnosed and seeking treatment for migraine headaches were enrolled in this randomized controlled trial. , led by Doug Mann, MD, professor of neurology and internal medicine. Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine.
In addition to their current treatments, patients followed one of three diets for 16 weeks: a control diet that maintained the average amount of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids consumed by a person living in the United States, a diet that increased n -3 and maintenance of n-6 fatty acids, and a diet that increased n-3 and decreased n-6 fatty acids.
Participants were given 2/3 of their daily food requirements and also received an electronic diary to record how many hours each day they had headaches.
“The participants seemed very motivated to follow these diets because of the pain they were experiencing,” said Beth MacIntosh, MPH, RD, clinical nutrition manager for the UNC Metabolic and Nutrition Research Core.
“The results are quite promising,” Zamora said. “Patients who followed either diet experienced less pain than the control group. Those who followed the diet high in n-3 fatty acids and low in n-6 fatty acids experienced the greatest improvement.”
Participants reported fewer days per month with headaches, and some were able to decrease the amount of medication they needed for their pain. However, participants did not report any change in quality of life.
“I think this diet change could have an impact,” Zamora said. “The effect we saw for headache reduction is similar to what we see with some medications. The caveat is that although participants reported fewer headaches, some people did not. changed their perception of how headaches affected them. “
“This study specifically tested n-3 fatty acids from fish and not from dietary supplements,” said study co-author Ketura Faurot, assistant professor of physical and rehabilitation medicine and deputy director of the medicine program. integrative. “Our results do not apply to the use of supplements.”
Zamora said the biochemical hypothesis of how certain fatty acids affect pain applies to a wide variety of chronic pain. She and her colleagues are currently working on a new study to test diet modification in other pain syndromes.
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