More good news for chocolate lovers: cocoa may ease migraine headaches. Migraine sufferers may want to add more chocolate to their diets, according to the findings of a new animal study that was presented at the International Headache Society’s 14th International Headache Congress held in Philadelphia.
For the study, researchers fed two groups of rats a diet enriched with either 1 or 10 percent cocoa for two weeks. After that time, they found that the high-cocoa diet boosted levels of anti-inflammatory compounds in the brain and reduced the pro-inflammatory processes within trigeminal ganglia, which are thought to play a role in migraines.
The researchers from Missouri State University told audiences that this is the first evidence of cocoa’s role in repressing the inflammatory response. The scientists reported that although more research is needed, chocolate shows promise for the prevention and treatment of migraine headaches.
That is great news for the approximately 36 million people in the U.S. who suffer from migraine headaches. If you are thinking of adding more chocolate to your diet, I would advise you to skip milk chocolate and go with dark chocolate, which is packed with brain-friendly antioxidants. And remember, this doesn’t give you free rein to gorge on an entire bag of chocolate. It is high in fat and calories. A little goes a long way.
Other natural treatments for migraines include deep breathing exercises, meditation, and hypnosis. You can learn more about these natural remedies in the Effective Tools for Calming Stress mp3 or the Magnificent Mind with Medical Hypnosis 2 CD set.
Natural supplements that have been shown to offer relief from migraines include ginger (especially good for the nausea that often accompanies migraine), feverfew, 5-HTP, and magnesium. 5-HTP works by boosting serotonin in the brain, which may have an effect on blood vessel dilation, which may provide some relief from headache pain. If you’d like to try it, order the Amen Clinics Neuro5-HTP today.