FAQ Episode 47: Add the fiber, cut the migraines?
FAQ Episode 47: Add the fiber, cut the migraines?
Frequently Asked Questions about Natural Migraine Relief
It is well understood that there are connections between bowel function and migraines. A recent study added an interesting dimension to this debate by looking at how dietary fiber affected the prevalence and severity of migraines.1
The research mined data on fiber and headaches from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 0f 12,710 participants in a longitudinal study from 1999-2004. They found that for every additional 10 grams/day of dietary fiber there was an 11% decrease in the prevalence of headaches and migraines. In this study they measured intakes of up to a maximum 100 grams of dietary fiber per day (that’s a lot!)
As I talk about frequently in this blog, any given intervention that helps you manage migraine is usually only one of several underlying root cause factors that should be identified and managed to give you the best migraine relief. The consideration of adding dietary fiber to assist migraines could fall in this category.
The usual health advice is to take in 25-35 grams of dietary fiber per day. The typical adult intake is more like 15 grams per day. Based on this research, adding 20 grams of fiber to the diet might reduce migraine incidence some 20-30%. Not overwhelming, but when finding and fixing multiple root causes, every little bit helps! Especially when we consider the other benefits of fiber for gut and immune health.
What is fiber?
Fibers are complex carbohydrates that pass through the body undigested. There are two main categories of fiber:
soluble fiber absorbs water to become a gel-like substance during digestion. This help it to collect and remove unwanted compounds (e.g., environmental toxins, cholesterol, extra hormones, waste) from the body.
insoluble fiber makes up the bulk of stool, promotes gut motility, and assists elimination.
Beneficial functions of sufficient fiber in the diet
fermentable fibers fuel the function of a healthy gut microbiome. Beneficial bacteria feed on them to produce short-chain fatty acids, (SCFAs) which directly feed the health of bowel wall and strengthen gut barrier integrity. A healthy gut barrier integrity prevents the absorption of bowel toxins and partially digested food particles.
assisting natural detoxification. Soluble fibers bind chemicals to escort them out of the body. The less time that environmental, drug metabolite and other chemical toxins spend in contact with the bowel lining, the less the potential for gut barrier inflammation. This may also explain why healthy fiber intake is associated with lower rates of colorectal cancer.
improved bowel motility. Insoluble fiber helps ease bloat and gas by moving food out of the stomach to be eliminated. Research shows that taking a daily fiber supplement can help reduce colonic transit time and significantly reduce bloat and gas. That excess gas is a sign of maldigestion, where some maldigested byproducts can be at the root of “irritible bowel” type symptoms.
promotion of satiety, or “the sense of fullness.” Researchers have found that fiber and the fluid it absorbs provides a physical volume that helps you feel full for longer and resist snacking in between meals.
How might fiber help migraines?
Fiber feeds “healthy” bacterial species reducing the potential for increased intestinal permeability. Less “leaky gut” can cut the amount of pro-inflammatory provocation of the trigeminal vascular system, the most common pathway leading to the occurrence of migraine.2
A higher dietary fiber content reduces the glycemic index of the carb intake. One study found a significant reduction of migraines with a trial of low glycemic diet.3 Blood sugar swings can be a provocative factor in some migraines.
A related issue may be that a high fiber, whole food diet may have higher concentrations of the nutrients known to reduce migraine frequency. Insoluble fiber also feeds the bacteria that make intestinal Vitamin B12, a key nutrient for nerve repair. This source can be as much as half of your daily B12 requirement.
Inflammation from a leaky gut condition is noted above. Both of these factors can provoke local immune reactivity from the 70% of the immune system devoted to protecting the gastrointestinal borderlands. This can in turn result in central nervous system directed inflammation that can be a root cause factor for migraines.
the power of fiber to absorb chemicals helps to clear them from the body via gut detoxification. This can include heavy metals, hormones, herbicides and pesticides, drug metabolites, mycotoxins and excess cholsterol. It also includes chemical mimics called xenoestrogens, which can promote a state of estrogen dominance. This condition is one of the most potent hormonal promoters of migraine in women. Read more about this in FAQ Episode 18: Hysterectomy and Migraines
Additional benefits of taking adequate fiber in your diet
consuming 5-10 grams of soluble fiber daily is associated with significant decreases in LDL (aka "bad") and total cholesterol, as well as, meaningful increases in HDL (“good cholesterol.”) This helps to explain why fiber is referred to in marketing as “heart-healthy.”
soluble fiber also helps to bind glucose before it enters the bloodstream, reducing blood sugar spikes in the two to three hours after a meal. This allows the body to use glucose more efficiently, and reduce insulin resistance. This helps with both adult diabetes, as well as, weight control.
regular and easy to pass bowel movements. We take this for granted, except when its not!
Finding dietary fiber sources
Its not hard to add good fiber to your daily menu. Choose from among avocados, oats, chickpeas, apples, bananas, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, quinoa, berries, broccoli, almonds, sunflower seeds, beans, and dried fruits. For a snack, look at roasted chickpeas with 10 grams of fiber per half cup, or air popped corn at a gram of fiber per cup.
Some fiber use tips
leaving the skin on fruits and veggies instead of peeling them is a simple way to increase your fiber intake.
because fiber requires water to give it the bulk that facilitates bowel motility, make sure that you take enough water to “keep things moving.” Usually an extra 8 oz per 20 grams of fiber will do this. Its also best to space the fiber intake throughout the day, holding to around 10 grams of fiber at any one meal.
if you’re having a problem getting enough fiber in your diet, you may want to add a quality fiber supplement with ingredients like psyllium husk, oat fiber or apple pectin. I like to add a one ounce combination of chia, hemp and flax seeds to blend with my morning smoothie for an extra 10 grams of fiber and a nice nutty flavor.
if you have legume sensitivities, check the label to avoid guar bean fiber, which is a commonly used fiber supplement source.
Getting the best of a chronic disorder like migraine is rarely one magical intervention, but most often comes from small but focused choices made consistently over time. Adding fiber rich foods that broaden your culinary palette would be an example that can buy health benefits across the board and down the road.
To your health, without the headaches!
“The association between dietary fiber intake and severe headaches or migraine in US adults.” Hao Huang & Kaiyin He Frontiers in Nutrition 03 January 2023 Volume 9 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1044066
“Gut-brain axis and migraine headache: a comprehensive review.” Arzani M, et al. J Headache Pain. (2020) 21:15. doi: 10.1186/s10194-020-1078-9
“Early and long period follow-up results of low glycemic index diet for migraine prophylaxis.” Evcili G, et. al. Agri. (2018) 30:8–11. doi: 10.5505/agri.2017.62443