The Eating Plate and Nutraceutical Advice for Migraine

Dear Colleagues,

Many migraineurs report that dietary factors can precipitate their attacks. Although not all eating plate nutrients incriminated by patients withstand rigorous prospective assessment, there is evidence indicating that migraine can be aggravated and/or triggered in certain patients by fasting, alcohol intake, excessive caffeine consumption, insufficient intake of B vitamins, or unhealthy dietary habits. On the other hand, particular diets and nutraceuticals were shown to be beneficial as migraine preventives.

The biological basis for such diet-sensitivity in migraine is complex, not fully understood, and may vary between subjects. It is likely dependent, however, on the interplay between the brain, the eating plate and the gut microbiome.

Mitochondrial energy metabolism can be impaired in the migraine brain, rendering it unable to compensate for the excessive energy demand due to enhanced sensory processing. Dysfunctions in brain circuits conditioning food intake, such as those in the hypothalamus and the reward system, can produce craving for certain foods during the premonitory phase, and might even influence dietary habits between attacks. Vice versa metabolic changes in blood are able to modify the responsivity of the trigeminovascular system that is generating the migraine headache.

Most recently, a causal association between migraine and several bacterial taxa of the gut microbiome was found using GWAS mendelian randomization. Dysbiosis in gut microbiota might play a role in migraine pathogenesis notably via changes in serotonin, short chain fatty acids, and immuno-inflammatory processes. Conversely, trigeminovascular activation can cause dysbiosis in experimental migraine models.

The metabolic alterations in migraine as well as the gut dysbiosis are in principle amenable to dietary interventions and nutraceuticals to the benefit of our patients.

The purpose of this Special Issue is twofold. First it will feature three invited reviews where the scientific data, and significant research gaps concerning the metabolic aspects of migraine, the role in its pathogenesis of the brain-gut-eating plate triad, and present or future targeted therapeutic interventions, including diets and nutraceuticals, will be extensively discussed. Second, given the topic’s complexity, recent emerging hypotheses, and the lack of evidence in several aspects, we encourage authors to publish their original research work in this Special Nutrients Issue “The Eating Plate and Nutraceutical Advice for Migraine”.

Prof. Dr. Jean Schoenen
Dr. Marco Lisicki
Guest Editors

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• migraine
• metabolism
• dietary triggers
• nutraceuticals
• diets
• gut microbiome
• hypothalamus