A diet higher in fatty fish, and lower in vegetable oils, helped migraine sufferers reduce the number and intensity of the migraines they experienced per month, according to a new NIH-funded study conducted by the National Institute of Aging (NIA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The findings were published in the July 3issue of the British Medical Journal. Migraine ranks among the most common causes of chronic pain, with more than 4 million people worldwide suffering chronic migraine at 15 migraine days per month, affecting overall quality of life and the ability to engage in activities of daily living.
 
In the study, researchers tracked 182 adults with frequent migraines, in an effort to expand upon previous research on the relationship between linoleic acid and chronic pain.  Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid commonly derived from corn, soybean, and similar oils, as well as some nuts and seeds. The team’s previous smaller studies found that a diet lower in linoleic acid and higher in levels of omega-3 fatty acids could soothe inflammation by acting on the pathway of the trigeminal nerve, the largest and most complex of the body’s 12 cranial nerves.
 
Over a 16-week duration, the researchers assigned one of three healthy diet plans to subgroups of participants, which all included fish, vegetables, hummus, salads, and breakfast items. One group received high levels of fatty fish or oils from fatty fish, and lower levels of linoleic acid. A second group received both high fatty fish and linoleic acid levels. Lastly, the third group received low levels of fatty fish and high levels of linoleic acid in order to mimic the average U.S. intake.
 
Participants monitored: their number of migraine days; the duration and intensity of their migraines; how their headaches affected their ability to function at school, at work, and socially; and how often they needed to take pain medication for their migraine. When the study began, participants averaged more than 16 headache days per month, over five hours of migraine pain per headache day, and had baseline scores showing a severe impact on quality of life despite using multiple headache medications.
 
The diet lower in vegetable oil and higher in fatty fish produced between a 30% and 40% reduction in total headache hours per day, severe headache hours per day, and overall headache days per month compared to the control group. Additionally, the authors of the study noted that there were reductions in the level of lipids associated with pain compared to the Western diet control group. Despite the significant reduction in headache frequency and pain, these participants reported only minor improvements in migraine-related overall quality of life compared to the other groups in the study.
 
“This research found intriguing evidence that dietary changes have potential for improving a very debilitating chronic pain condition like migraine without the related downsides of often-prescribed medications,” Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD, scientific director of NIA, said. Such downsides include sedation and the possibility of dependence or addiction.
 
The NIH team was led by Chris Ramsden, a clinical investigator in the NIA and NIAAA intramural research programs, and UNC adjunct faculty member. He and his team, which includes Doug Mann, MD, of the Department of Neurology, and Kim Faurot, PhD, of the Program on Integrative Medicine at UNC, specialize in lipids.
 
“Changes in diet could offer some relief for the millions of Americans who suffer from migraine pain,” Ramsden said. “it’s further evidence that the foods we eat can influence pain pathways.”
 
The authors noted that results were more significant for those who increased omega-3 fatty acid profiles from food-based sources than from fish oil supplements. They intend to continue to expand on this study in order to evaluate the impact that this dietary strategy could have on other chronic pain conditions.