Does this fast-food combo help with migraines?

Migraines are the third most common neurological disease worldwide – afflicting over a billion people, according to the World Health Organization. That’s why a social media user’s hack of consuming french fries and soda to relieve migraine pain is gaining popularity online. But does it really work?

French fries and migraine relief

Dehydration is a common trigger for migraines. Without fluids and electrolytes, blood vessels around the brain constrict and trigger pain receptors. Dehydration reduces blood volume, which limits oxygen and nutrients to the brain, resulting in headaches. Electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, are essential for neuromuscular function and hydration balance. Without them, migraine symptoms worsen.

Eating french fries may be helpful for alleviating migraines due to its high sodium content, which replenishes lost electrolytes. Sodium pulls fluid into the muscles and cells, which supports proper hydration and neuromuscular system functioning when sodium is consumed with a sufficient water intake.

Soda and migraine relief

During a headache, blood vessels swell, which increases blood flow to and around the brain. This increased blood flow puts pressure on surrounding nerves, which sends pain messages to the brain, causing headaches. Soda is generally caffeinated, which can cause vasoconstriction, reducing the large amount of blood flow to the brain that causes migraine pain.

When caffeine is taken in combination with over-the-counter pain medicines, like aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen, it can increase the absorption and strength of the medicine to provide faster pain relief.

Can this hack worsen migraines?

The body can become dependent on caffeine’s vasoconstrictive effects. When you stop drinking caffeine, blood vessels around the brain enlarge, which increases blood flow and pressure to nerves surrounding the brain. This can then trigger a “caffeine withdrawal” headache. These headaches can last days to weeks as it takes time for the body to adjust to not having caffeine in its system.

Additionally, regularly consuming fried food and/or soda can lead to inflammation within the body. Neuro-inflammation can lead to inflammatory responses, which includes headache-causing vasodilation.

What dietary recommendations for migraine relief do you suggest instead?

I recommend you consume at least half your body weight (lbs) in ounces of water daily. For example, a 180 lb person should drink 90 oz of water daily. If you struggle to consume that amount of water daily, I recommend adding a sugar-free flavoring, infusing oranges, lemons, limes, cucumbers, mint leaves or berries, or mixing in sugar-free carbonated water.

I also recommend drinking a high-sodium electrolyte drink 3 to 4 days per week. Choose a drink that has clean ingredients and about 1,000 mg of sodium. You may also want to keep individual packets of sodium-rich electrolytes with you to alleviate migraine symptoms when you are on-the-go.

Even though all foods are welcomed in a balanced diet, the majority of the foods you eat should come from whole, nutrient dense foods, like vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy and healthy oils – not processed foods.

Lindsay Fencl is a registered dietitian at Aurora BayCare Medical Center.

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