More than 10% of people worldwide, especially between the ages of 20 and 50, experience migraine, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association. Migraine, and other headache disorders, are one of the leading causes of disability for women aged 15 to 49 years old in the U.S.
A migraine is “typically a throbbing light pain. A lot of people think it’s only on one side [but] it can be both sides. It’s usually in the front of the head [and] it could be in the back of the head,” says Dr. Fred Cohen, a headache specialist and assistant professor of medicine and neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Symptoms of migraine are worse than a typical headache, and moderate to severe headaches are only one of the symptoms of migraine, Cohen tells CNBC Make It.
Additional symptoms of migraine can be:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Photophobia, a sensitivity to light
- Phonophobia, a sensitivity to sound
There isn’t a singular cause of migraine, Cohen says. For some people, migraine is genetic and runs in their family; for others, lifestyle choices like diet, stress and even weather changes can trigger migraine symptoms.
Thankfully, debilitating symptoms of migraine can be relieved with some natural remedies. Here are a few that Cohen recommends.
6 natural remedies and supplements for migraine relief
1. Magnesium supplements
Taking magnesium can be good for migraine relief because it helps blood vessels in the brain relax, manages your nerve receptors including serotonin and can increase your magnesium levels, which typically lower when you’re experiencing a migraine attack, Cohen says.
Using any type of magnesium supplement from a reputable company of 200 to 600 milligrams is what he suggests, but magnesium glycate “is typically easier on the stomach.”
2. Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
“Riboflavin is involved in the mitochondria of the cell, that’s like the power plant if you will. [It] deals with energy production,” Cohen notes. “And migraine is inflammation. So if there are things that are proinflammatory like poor energy production, that can lead to inflammation. So that’s the thought [about] why riboflavin can help.”
He recommends taking a B2 supplement daily of about 200 to 400 milligrams.
3. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Coenzyme Q 10, more commonly known as CoQ10, is an antioxidant that is also helpful for energy production and mitochondrial function, he says. It works very similar to riboflavin, and is also used for cholesterol and heart issues, Cohen adds.
Research shows that taking CoQ10 supplements reduced the frequency, length and severity of migraine headaches; Cohen suggests a CoQ10 supplement of 100 to 300 milligrams a day for migraine relief.
4. Butterbur
Certain herbs like butterbur are also backed by science for their migraine relief benefits. There are certain chemicals in butterbur that may “relieve spasms and decrease swelling,” according to WebMD.
“Butterbur appears to help reduce the frequency of migraines in adults and children,” according to the NIH’s National Center for Complementary Integrative Health. “Typically people take about 75 milligrams a day,” Cohen says.
5. Feverfew
Feverfew is “like a natural aspirin,” Cohen says. “This deals with its mechanism of inhibiting the clumping of platelets. And again, this all deals goes back to inflammation.”
Studies that tested the effectiveness of 50 to 100 milligrams of feverfew daily for people who experience migraine headaches found that the plant helped to prevent or stop the headaches, according to Mount Sinai’s health library.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, like fish oil, are anti-inflammatory and can help to reduce the inflammation caused by migraine, Cohen says. “Originally, Omega-3 fish oil was promoted for people with cardiovascular issues, but we’ve seen it be effective in migraine,” he adds.
Having a diet high in omega-3 and low in omega-6 was associated with a reduction in the frequency of migraine headaches, according to a 2021 study in the British Medical Journal.
Tags
“Riboflavin is involved in the mitochondria of the cell, that’s like the power plant if you will. [It] deals with energy production,” Cohen notes. “And migraine is inflammation. So if there are things that are proinflammatory like poor energy production, that can lead to inflammation. So that’s the thought [about] why riboflavin can help.”
He recommends taking a B2 supplement daily of about 200 to 400 milligrams.
3. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Coenzyme Q 10, more commonly known as CoQ10, is an antioxidant that is also helpful for energy production and mitochondrial function, he says. It works very similar to riboflavin, and is also used for cholesterol and heart issues, Cohen adds.
Research shows that taking CoQ10 supplements reduced the frequency, length and severity of migraine headaches; Cohen suggests a CoQ10 supplement of 100 to 300 milligrams a day for migraine relief.
4. Butterbur
Certain herbs like butterbur are also backed by science for their migraine relief benefits. There are certain chemicals in butterbur that may “relieve spasms and decrease swelling,” according to WebMD.
“Butterbur appears to help reduce the frequency of migraines in adults and children,” according to the NIH’s National Center for Complementary Integrative Health. “Typically people take about 75 milligrams a day,” Cohen says.
5. Feverfew
Feverfew is “like a natural aspirin,” Cohen says. “This deals with its mechanism of inhibiting the clumping of platelets. And again, this all deals goes back to inflammation.”
Studies that tested the effectiveness of 50 to 100 milligrams of feverfew daily for people who experience migraine headaches found that the plant helped to prevent or stop the headaches, according to Mount Sinai’s health library.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, like fish oil, are anti-inflammatory and can help to reduce the inflammation caused by migraine, Cohen says. “Originally, Omega-3 fish oil was promoted for people with cardiovascular issues, but we’ve seen it be effective in migraine,” he adds.
Having a diet high in omega-3 and low in omega-6 was associated with a reduction in the frequency of migraine headaches, according to a 2021 study in the British Medical Journal.
