Experts have suggested in a new report that consuming a plant-based diet may reduce the severity of chronic migraines.
Publicized online in BMJ Case Reports, the benefits of a plant-based diet put forth by researchers arose after treating a man with a long history of severe migraines.
The male subject had suffered from treatment-refractory migraines, experiencing chronic, recurring headaches for the vast majority of the days within each month. No systematic inflammation or abnormal levels of beta-carotene were detected in blood samples.
According to the report, strict adherence to the Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE) diet was recommended, which involved the consumption of at least five ounces of raw dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains, starchy vegetables, oils, animal protein, and red meat.
The report claims that after two months of strict adherence to the plant-based diet, the subject’s migraine headaches decreased profoundly. Beta-carotene levels had increased, based on blood tests.
“We report a case of a 60-year-old man who struggled with frequent migraines for 12.5 years, which were refractory to all conventional therapies. Six months before initial consultation, these migraines become chronic,” the authors explained in their BMJ article.
“Serum beta-carotene more than tripled after the patient started the LIFE diet, consistent with its high content of dark green leafy vegetables. Weight, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), complete blood count (CBC), hydration status, sodium and other electrolytes remained constant throughout the study,” the authors concluded.
The study was authored by Brittany Marie Perzia, Joshua Dunaief, and David Dunaief.
