: Migraine triggers constrict blood vessels and dilate them,
affecting peripheral nociceptors or resulting in the activation of a
hyperexcitable cortex.
‘Including antioxidant rich foods in the diet can counteract the effects of migraine triggers in the brain.’
Observation 2: Migraine triggers like hypoxia, alcohol, extreme heat or cold or
hypoglycemia could affect the brain when in large amounts.
Migraines and Oxidative Stress
A molecule is
said to be oxidized when it loses a hydrogen atom and becomes highly reactive, it
is capable of oxidizing any molecule that it encounters. The
brain has a certain amount of oxidants, and when the
amount increases, it can become toxic by triggering
neurological inflammation through ion channels.
The various
known triggers for migraines are:
- Alcohol: Exposure to large volumes of alcohol can lead to:
- Loss in volume of the frontal lobe
- Diffused white matter
- Premature aging
- Loss in volume of prefrontal complex and hippocampus
High concentration of alcohol leads to the activation of microglia, which increases the concentration, and the production of reactive oxygen species.
- MonoSodium Glutamate: The levels of glutamate in the brain are increased by the presence of MSG in the blood. This leads to an increase in superoxide anions through calcium influx.
- Water Deprivation: Low amount of water leads to increase in reaction oxygen species due to activation of arginine vasopressin.
- Tyramine: Tyramine that is present in cheese, aged and in red wine leads to the formation of hydrogen peroxide on degradation.
- Aspartame: It is 180 times sweeter than sugar and it is used to sweeten food and sweets. The breakdown of aspartame also increases reactive oxygen species. Other important triggers that lead to the activation of reactive oxygen species include flavanoids, mental stress, estrogen, infection, hypoxia, noise, nitrates, flavanoids, pollution, daily stressors, nitroglycerin.
All these
migraine triggers lead to the production of reactive oxygen species through any
one of the following mechanisms:
- Excitotoxicity
- Change in the membrane properties of the mitochondria
- Calcium influx
- Increased production of energy by the mitochondria
- Activation of microglia
- Neuronal NADPH oxidase activation
This study offers
hope for people suffering from migraine as the use of antioxidants can counteract the presence of superoxide anions that affect the neurons in the brain. Though a certain amount of programmed cell death is necessary to remove aged and dysfunctional cells, it proves costly in terms of neurons as they cannot be regenerated.
Some
anti-oxidant rich foods include grapes, blueberries, oranges, sweet potatoes, beans, whole grains and tea.
There are other pathways by which migraine
triggers lead to neural damage, other than pathways that lead to reactive
oxygen species. However, the inclusion of anti-oxidants in the diet will counteract
damages caused due to pathways that trigger reactive oxygen species.
References:
- http://icnapedia.org/journal-watch/migraine-triggers-and-oxidative-stress
Source: Medindia
