Food headaches

Researchers believe that what you eat and drink may contribute to certain kinds of headaches-especially migraines. But proving a definite link between diet and headaches is often difficult, and no single food affects all sensitive people. The following have been most commonly involved: aged cheeses, alcoholic, alcoholic beverages, nuts and peanut butter, yogurt, sour cream, cured or processed meats, caffeine rich drinks, freshly baked yeast products, chocolate, MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and aspartame(artificial sweetener).

Most of the suspect foods and beverages contain substances that may constrict or dilate blood vessels of the brain. One major culprit is tyramine, a chemical that occurs naturally in may foods. Nitrites, used in cold cuts and frank-furters, can also dilate blood vessels. For some people, not eating for many hours, or suddenly, abstraing from certain foods-such as coffee- may bring on headaches.