A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and lower in omega-6 fatty acids helps reduce the number and duration of migraine attacks. This was shown by a study published in The BMJ.
Diet of people in industrialized countries often poor in omega-3 and rich in omega-6 fatty acids. It is known that these acids in the body become precursors of oxylipins — molecules that can affect headaches. Oxylipins, which are derived from omega-3 acids, can alleviate it, and from omega-6 acids, they can enhance it. In a new study, American scientists tested whether headaches could be alleviated by changing the balance of omega acids in the diet.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are necessary for the body, but it cannot synthesize them. Therefore, it is important that both types of compounds are present in food. They play a role in brain function, growth and development, metabolism, reproductive system health and more.
For health, it is important to have the correct ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 acids in your diet. The former have an anti-inflammatory effect, while the latter can contribute to the development of inflammation. In the modern Western diet, the amount of omega-6 exceeds the amount of omega-3 by more than 10 times. Scientists suggest that their ratio in the diet should be 4:1 or 1:1.
People get omega-3 acids (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic) mainly from seafood — fish (fish fat), krill and algae. Sources of omega-6 acids are sunflower seeds, soybeans, sesame seeds, corn oil and others.
The study included 182 patients, their average age was 38 years. They experienced migraine attacks 5-20 days a month. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups with different diets and were followed for 16 weeks.
The first group, the control group, ate as usual: the amount of fatty acids in their diet did not change. In the other two groups, the amount of omega-3 acids was increased 10 times — up to 1.5 grams per day. But in one of them the level of consumption of omega-6 acids remained the same, and in the second it was reduced by almost four times.
During the study, participants regularly filled out questionnaires about how headaches affected their lives. The frequency of migraine attacks was recorded in online diaries. Scientists provided people with advice on how to accurately follow the required diet.
After 16 weeks, people who got more omega-3s in their diets had slightly improved quality of life scores compared to the control group. The frequency of migraines in participants in these groups decreased significantly. People who received only supplemental omega-3 acids experienced an average of 1.3 fewer headaches per day and two fewer headaches per month. In the group with a reduced amount of omega-6 acids in the diet, these figures were respectively 1.7 hours per day and four attacks per month. These participants also reported that their pain became less severe.
The authors point out some limitations of this study. For example, participants may have had difficulty following a strict diet. Additionally, it is unknown whether the study's findings generalize to people of other ages.
“The study provides biologically explicable demonstration that pain can be treated with targeted dietary changes. Taken together, the data suggest a causal relationship between omega-6 and omega-3 acids in pain regulation and opens up the possibility of new approaches to control chronic pain,” the scientists write in the study conclusions.