How do different types of drinks affect headaches and migraines?

Your hydration status has a lot to do with general health, but in particular, can significantly affect your headaches and migraines. The effect on headache and migraines differ depending on the chemical composition of the fluid consumed and the effect on the body. Here we go through many of the common drinks consumed by people and the effect that they can have on headache and migraine sufferers, both good and bad. 

 

Water

Water is the most abundant resource on the planet, and even better, it's free! The average adult should be consuming around 2 litres of water per day, depending on the individual. Most people don't consume enough water and often feel the effects of dehydration. By the time you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Dehydration happens when you lose fluid faster than you can replenish it with drinking or eating fluid-rich foods. Dehydration can be a trigger for headaches and migraines, but can also be a headache in itself because your body tissue is not able to function as effectively as it needs to, resulting in negative consequences

 

Caffeine - including tea and coffee

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug. It is unregulated in most countries for a relatively low cost. It is evidenced to boost alertness and wakefulness by promoting central nervous system stimulation. New evidence is suggesting that three or more caffeinated beverages in a day increases the risk of headaches and migraines on the same day. Repeated exposure to caffeine can lead to caffeine addiction - which can cause headaches of their own - not having enough caffeine when addicted can cause a headache, as well as stopping caffeine consumption all together can lead to withdrawal headaches. Some people can experience insomnia and increased anxiety due to caffeine content depending on their ability to tolerate it. 

With this being said however, some clients experience less migraines/reduced migraine severity after drinking caffeine (with and without medication). Caffeine itself is a mild diuretic - meaning it will make you urinate more frequently, which can affect your hydration status. The more caffeine content consumed, the higher the rate of its effects on hydration status 

 

Sports Drinks

Sports drinks are readily available in supermarkets, convenience stores and vending machines. They are often marketed as a healthy alternative to drinking water and help quickly rehydrate you. Sports drinks often contain high levels of carbohydrates and electrolytes to keep athletes at the top of their game. The sugars included in these drinks are at a much higher amount then most non-athletes require, and can lead to a massive spike in blood sugars. Electrolytes are mostly found in the foods we eat and the fluids we drink, but sometimes we excrete more then we consume and the electrolytes need to be supplemented. The key electrolytes include sodium, calcium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, and magnesium. Electrolytes are needed to regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrae the body, and balance blood pressure and acidity - which are all important factors relating to headaches and migraines. If you are opting for a sports drink to replenish electrolytes, try for a lower sugar alternative as to not cause a spike in blood sugar

Soft Drinks

Soft drinks can contain up to a quarter of a cup of sugar in each can - spikes in sugar levels have been associated with migraine attacks so soft drinks may be no different. These drinks can also contain high levels of artificial sweeteners and colours such as aspartame, sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame potassium, saccharin, cyclamates- which can also be migraine triggers or cause digestive upset in certain individuals. Certain soft drinks can also contain phosphoric acid, which changes the balance of calcium and magnesium in the body which is evidence to be a migraine trigger in some. Another reason that soft drinks can negatively affect headaches and migraines is due to the acidity levels which comes from phosphoric acid and carbonation.  Because headache conditions are often related to issues in the gut, the acidity from many soft drinks may trigger some associated symptoms. Soft drinks can be helpful in some individuals with headaches and migraines however, as a low blood sugar reading can also be associated with these conditions, and by replenishing these glucose stores, can decrease the headaches and migraines. 

 

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks work in a similar way to caffeine containing drinks, however a few of them also contain taurine, glucuronolactone, B vitamins, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and/or antioxidants. Because of these additions, they are sometimes advertised to enhance mental and physical performance. Energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, and sugars, so are also able to spike blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as increasing dehydration.  

 

Alcohol 

For some headache and migraine sufferers, alcohol can be a trigger for headache/migraines occurring in the first place. Some clients experience headache/migraine effects within 2 hours of consuming alcohol, whereas others experience a migraine the next day (called a Delayed Alcohol Induced Headache or DAIH for short). Because alcohol is a noted trigger for headache and migraine sufferers, the rates of consumption in these populations are understandably very low. 

There are certain components of alcohol (such as tyramine, phenylethylamine, histamine, sulfites, and flavonoid phenols) which are all potential causes of migraines following alcohol, but there has been no definitive studies. Red wine is often the culprit for a lot of people, so they avoid it. However studies have shown that any alcohol has the ability to be a migraine trigger. The alcohol itself is likely to be the trigger, not the particular type of alcohol it is. Red wine often has a higher alcohol percentage than other wines and mixed drinks, so this could potentially explain why it is more of a trigger then other alcohols. 

The most optimal way to keep hydrated when experiencing headaches and migraines is consuming around 2 litres of water per day, with occasional addition of electrolytes. Avoiding high levels of sugar, caffeine and alcohol can also be greatly beneficial. 

 

Whilst hydration is very important, it is not the only thing that can trigger or contribute to headaches and migraines. There are so many other factors such as the neck, jaw, hormones, gut health, diet, supplements, stress, anxiety, exercise etc that can all be contributing and/or causing your migraines and it is important to understand and treat the underlying cause of your migraines to see real changes. 

So if you or someone you know is suffering from headaches/migraines and is sick of the frustrating path of guessing what is happening or causing them, contact our team of experts today on (03) 9486 7543 so that we can help get to the bottom of yours and help you take the guess work out of them.