Turmeric for Migraine: How Does It Help?

Turmeric is highly effective for migraines. It contains curcumin that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Researchers believe inflammation is one of the main causes of migraine.

Migraine can cause intense debilitating headaches along with multiple unpleasant symptoms including nausea, vomiting, numbness, and sensitivity to light and sound. In migraine, the two enzymes cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) contribute to neurogenic pain and inflammation in the central nervous system. Eating turmeric extract can reduce the frequency, severity, as well as duration of migraine headaches.

How Turmeric Helps Relieve Migraine

Turmeric has been identified as a potential alternative for treating migraines. Curcumin acts on migraine in a number of ways. Read on to learn how it helps relieve migraine headaches.

Pain Reliever in Migraine

Scientists believe inflammation in the sensory neurons causes pain in migraine disease. In migraine patients, the pain stems out from disturbances in the cortical sensory modulation system and impaired signalling mechanism of the brain.

Curcumin reduces inflammation of the brain’s sensory neurons that help relieve pain. According to a study, turmeric is more effective at relieving inflammation than over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and aspirin.

Stress Reducer

Stress and depression can trigger migraine attacks. High-level stress is linked to migraine frequency, whereas depression and migraine are associated with low levels of serotonin.

Individuals can take turmeric for migraine to treat the condition. The bio-active ingredient curcumin in turmeric increases the production of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. The increased levels of these neuro-transmitters can help reduce depression and symptoms of stress.

Balances Hormones

Migraine can affect men, women, and children. However, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, women experience migraine more frequently than men. Imbalances in hormones, especially estrogen are linked with migraine attacks.

Scientists believe estrogen affects the central nervous system that causes neuronal activation, resulting in migraine pain. Both increased and decreased levels of estrogen can trigger migraine episodes.

A study found that turmeric can regulate estrogen levels. Curcumin found in turmeric improves liver function that plays an important role in metabolizing estrogen for elimination.

Protects from NSAID Side-Effects

Individuals with migraine are often given anti-inflammatory painkillers. These NSAID pain-killers cause negative side-effects including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems. While turmeric is a good alternative to NSAID medication for treating migraines, it also protects patients from side-effects by directly combating inflammation and oxidative damage caused by NSAID medications.

Also, medical research suggests that chronic inflammatory conditions like leaky gut predisposes to migraine. In the leaky gut, there is increased intestinal permeability of bowels to bacteria and toxins.

Turmeric can reduce gut permeability by contracting the proteins of the bowel lining. As the gut heals, episodes of headache and migraine disappear.

What Does Scientific Research Say About Turmeric for Migraine?

There are many scientific research studies that suggest curcumin can help lower neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in migraine. Let us see what scientific research says about using turmeric for migraines.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent vasodilator. Studies show that vasodilatation due to neurogenic inflammation can contribute to headaches and migraines. Vasodilatation is the process of blood vessel enlargement that causes a decrease in blood pressure. Turmeric’s ability to suppress nitric oxide production has shown promise in the treatment of migraine.

Curcumin’s antioxidative effect is helpful in managing Nitroglycerin (NTG) induced migraine. Nitroglycerin medications are used to treat chest pain in people having coronary artery disease. A higher concentration of nitroglycerin may cause dilation of cerebral arteries and result in severe delayed headaches. Daily turmeric dose is effective for preventing episodes of headache in migraine.

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that can significantly decrease the frequency of headaches in migraine patients. Curcumin increases DHA production in the brain and liver. Besides reducing neuroinflammation DHA can also downregulate nitric oxide for migraine prevention.

Individuals with allergies are more likely to develop migraines than others.

Exposure to allergens might trigger the immune system to release histamine. Several studies have shown turmeric has anti-allergic properties. The anti-allergic properties of turmeric are due to its capacity to inhibit histamine from the mast cell. This attribute of turmeric is beneficial if you are prone to seasonal allergies.

Turmeric for Headaches: Is Turmeric Good for Migraine?

Yes, turmeric is a good alternative treatment for migraines. Scientific evidence suggests that turmeric helps with many illnesses related to mental health. Curcumin can regulate underlying conditions that lead to headaches and migraines like stress, depression, hypertension, and allergies. Additionally, curcumin boosts immune response and reduces inflammation and oxidative stress which are vital for combating headaches and migraines.

Turmeric is a natural remedy for migraines. Practising healthy habits, identifying migraine triggers and avoiding them, and adding turmeric to your diet can significantly reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine headaches.

Many researchers and doctors recommend turmeric for migraine prevention as well as treatment. According to research, a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin can reduce TNF. A reduced level of TNF is key in preventing migraine attacks as it inhibits the excitability of neurons, neuroinflammation, and pain.

Why Use Turmeric for Migraine Prevention & Treatment?

Migraine is a heterogeneous disease that is tricky to treat. The trigger of migraines can be different for everyone. Migraine treatment typically aims at stopping symptoms and preventing future migraine attacks.

Doctors recommend either pain-relieving medications like NSAIDS anti-inflammatory drugs, vasoconstrictors, serotonin boosters, and calcitonin gene-related peptide blockers, or preventive medications like antiseizure medications, antidepressants, beta-blockers, and Botox in migraine. All of these medications have side-effects and some of them can interact with other medicines as well.

One of the most sought benefits of using turmeric for migraine is it can be consumed with other medications for migraine treatment. Turmeric and curcumin relieve migraine headaches naturally and they do not have any side-effects. Several people have found additional relief by using turmeric as a natural, complementary remedy for migraines.

How Much Turmeric Should I Take for Migraine?

For migraine headaches, take 500 mg of turmeric extract every 3 hours. Do not take this turmeric dose more than 4 times a day. Depending on the severity of migraines and headaches, the dose can be increased or decreased.

If you are taking turmeric for migraines, it is important to know that curcumin supplements contain a much higher concentration of beneficial polyphenols than powdered turmeric.

Also, curcumin exhibits poor bio-availability so it’s not easily absorbed in the digestive tract. Self-nano emulsifying curcumin is a highly bioavailable formulation that enables rapid absorption of curcumin in the blood. The increased absorption of turmeric provides quick relief in migraine.

SNEC30 is the best curcumin capsule that easily dissolves in the lipid system and converts into an emulsion in the stomach allowing complete dissolution and rapid absorption. SNEC oral gel is safe for oral administration and SNEC-P curcumin drops have a tasty flavour that your kids will like. Visit here to learn more.

Final Thoughts on Turmeric for Migraine

The yellow spice which is a staple in Indian meals for thousands of years has become popular for treating migraine pain. Curcumin has shown its efficacy for preventing migraine attacks in patients who experience several episodes of headaches.

Aura is a warning symptom that occurs before migraine headaches. The aura can include visual disturbances like flashes, blind spots, and other symptoms like tingling on one side of the face, arm, or leg. Some people may experience difficulty in speaking as well.

Turmeric is a culinary herb used in Ayurveda for centuries. Curcumin is ideal for migraine treatment as it acts effectively on migraine to prevent symptoms of aura and reduces pain.