Migraines are severe throbbing pain usually on one side of your head that can last for a short time, or can even days. Usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity or sound. Some symptoms of migraines may be an aura, flashes of light or even a stiff neck. Migraines can be triggered by a number of things, such as hormones, alcohol, stress, bright lights, lack of sleep, or sometimes the foods you eat.

Foods you consume can have an impact on migraines. So can skipping meals or fasting. Let’s take a look at some different foods that may be triggering your migraines:

1. Lunch meats
That quick lunch may have just caused your migraine. Most lunch meats are highly processed, containing tyramine and preservatives that could be the cause of migraines. These ingredients may be found in some bacon, or hotdogs. Preservatives are not a natural product, our bodies aren’t sure what to do with them, So they may cause migraines in some individuals.

Cutting out preservatives will benefit not only less migraines, but you should see a reduction in weight.

2. Bananas
Shocking! But, yes Bananas have tyramine and histamine which could cause migraines in some individuals. They are a great source of potassium. If you are sensitive and get chronic migraines, you might want to cut out these great snacks. Amino acids broken down are called tyrosine, which is a form of tyramine. Tyramine broken down is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier causing your blood pressure to rise. Thus, causing a potential migraine.

3. Aged cheese
Delicious, yes. But, again high in tyramine. In aged cheese the tyramine is found in the protein. The older the cheese, the more tyramine it has. The tyramine in the aged cheese is causing an increase in your blood pressure just like the bananas and could potentially be causing migraines. If you are prone to migraines, cut out all aged cheese and see if it helps alleviate them.

4. Beans
Kidney beans, black beans, string beans and most legumes contain tannin. Tannin is a compound found attached to proteins. Red beans have the highest amount of tannin compared to white beans. Tannins keep your body from absorbing the proteins, therefore may result in a migraine. Cutting out tannins can help relieve migraines or the symptoms of migraines.

You can see a trend in all of these listed items to watch out for if you have chronic migraines. Check the labels of any bagged food. If it contains preservatives or anything listed above, you might want to steer clear. Cutting out certain foods from your diet to minimize migraines or the symptoms is great, but look at what your body might need as well. Our bodies need vitamins and minerals. Adding to your diet vitamin K, D, B’s, Magnesium, riboflavin and many more could help alleviate migraines all together.