For those wondering why certain foods seem to cause migraines, science has an answer. A new study suggests that it may actually be the food causing massive headaches, but a kind of bacteria in the mouth.
Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that people who had frequent migraines had more bacteria in their mouths that could modify chemicals called nitrates. These nitrates come in certain kinds of food such as processed meats, green leafy vegetables and some medicines, New York Daily News reports.
Antonio Gonzalez, a programmer analyst at UC San Diego and co-author on the subject, says,
There is this idea out there that certain foods trigger migraines — chocolate, wine, and especially foods containing nitrates.
He explains, “We thought that perhaps there was a connection between someone’s microbiome [the microorganisms in their body] and what they were eating.”
According to the study, greater amounts of mouth bacteria could modify the nitrates, turning them into nitric oxide that scientists believe play a part in migraines – a condition that affects some 38 million Americans.
Gonzalez says that people who experience these headaches may want to limit their intake of nitrate-rich foods.
The team analyzed 172 oral samples and over 2,000 fecal samples from participants in the American Gut Project, a large-scale, crowd-sourced initiative. They sequenced which kinds of bacteria were present in those who reported migraines versus those who did not. It turned out that those who had headaches had significantly more nitrate-changing bacteria in their saliva than their peers.
The next step would be to look at more specific groups of people to determine why and how bacteria contribute to different types of migraines. The researchers also hope that their findings will encourage others to look further into the role oral bacteria plays in overall health.
The study was published in the American Society for Microbiology journal mSystems.