Does Intermittent Fasting Cause Migraines?
Cordelia Tan, is a passionate advocate for women's health and well-being. Known as Fasty's number one fan, she expertly blends Eastern and Western health practices, offering a holistic approach to diet and wellness. Her work focuses on empowering women with knowledge and practical strategies for a healthier life.
Prolonged fasting can lead to a range of side effects, making it important to understand the potential impacts on your body. But, can your body react to fasting as badly as triggering a migraine? If you’re prone to migraines and are considering intermittent fasting, you’re in the right place.
In this article we will discuss the relationship between intermittent fasting and migraines, and answer the most crucial question: Does intermittent fasting cause migraines?
The Basics of Intermittent Fasting: What Is It and How Does It Work?
Intermittent fasting entails not eating for determined periods during the day and only consuming foods during specific eating windows. Depending on the type of intermittent fasting protocol, you can fast for as little as 12 hours or as much as 24 hrs. Eating windows can be scheduled at any time of the day that best fits your routine. The Fastic app guides you through your fasting journey from start to finish and monitors your fasting schedule to help you achieve the effects of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting has variations that range in intensity, including:
Time-restricted eating (TRE)
Time-restricted eating consists of limiting the timing of your meals to a determined eating window and fasting the rest of the day. Multiple TRE options exist (e.g., 14:10, 18:6, and 20:4). Unlike other intermittent fasting plans, TRE focuses on when you eat and not what you eat.
5:2 Method
The 5:2 method requires you to go full days without food intake. You eat as you normally would for five days and restrict your calorie intake (500-600 kcal) for two non-consecutive days.
Alternate-Day Fasting
You alternate fasting days with eating days. On normal eating days, you eat as usual and on fasting days you suspend food consumption entirely. On fasting days you can drink zero-calorie beverages only.
Studies on intermittent fasting have demonstrated positive effects such as:
Improving insulin sensitivity
Enhancing cellular health
Improving mental health and mood
What Are Migraines?
Migraines affect more than 10% of people worldwide, predominantly individuals between 20 and 50 years of age. It is 3 times more common in women than it is in men. Migraines are a brain and nervous system disorder characterized by intense headaches. Other symptoms include nausea and light sensitivity.
Does Intermittent Fasting Cause Migraines? Is It Normal to Have a Headache When Fasting?
Fasting may trigger migraines in some individuals, particularly those already susceptible to them. It is normal to have a headache when intermittent fasting, headache sufferers have a higher risk of developing headaches during fasting than people who do not. However, some people may fast without any problem.
There are various reasons as to why fasting may set off migraines, including:
Poor hydration habits
Dehydration reduces blood volume, leading to a drop in blood pressure, which in turn decreases oxygen and nutrient delivery to the brain.
Poor sleep
Lack of and poor quality sleep may affect your circadian rhythm. You might have to modify your schedule during fasting by waking up earlier because your body is starving by dawn or simply because you can’t sleep at night during the first days due to dietary changes.
Adjustment period
Changes to diet and routine can trigger stress during the initial fasting phase. Eating at different times and changing your diet can confuse your body, causing it to react by releasing stress hormones.
Change in mealtimes
Modifying your mealtimes or skipping meals can also negatively impact your body. It may trigger a stress response since it's not receiving food when it usually does. Restriction of fuel sources during fasting periods will make the body shift into survival mode.
Low blood sugar
Low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia resulting from reduced food intake, impacts the brain’s energy levels required to function properly, stimulating the release of stress hormones.
Stress
All of the previous changes mentioned, including other triggers from everyday situations at work and home put the body under even more stress.
Caffeine withdrawal
Abstaining from drinking coffee during fasting can trigger migraines. Whether you cut out caffeine to adopt a cleaner diet or simply because you were already planning to, you can still drink plain black coffee during a fast without disrupting your body’s fasting state.
How Long Do Intermittent Fasting Migraines Last?
During fasting, headaches may present themselves after more than 16 hours without food. However, headaches can progressively turn into migraines, lasting 4 to 72 hours or longer, especially if you tend to have them.
How to Prevent Migraines During Fasting?
If you’re prone to migraines but still want to do intermittent fasting, follow these tips to avoid triggering migraines and minimize their severity if they do occur.
Stay hydrated
Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, during eating and fasting periods. Besides water, you can also drink herbal teas, low-calorie, fruit-infused water, and zero-calorie electrolyte beverages. Keep track of how much water you drink, it is recommended you drink more water than you usually would when you aren’t fasting.
Aim for good quality sleep
Ensure a consistent sleep schedule, avoid screens, and promote a restful environment and state of mind before going to sleep. Meditation, listening to calming music, and reading are excellent ways to prepare the mind for sleep.
Ease into the fasting protocol
Gradually adjust your body to the changes that come with fasting. Start with short fasting periods and slowly increase as you notice your body adapting to it. Listen to your body and if it reacts negatively, go back to shorter fasting hours.
Follow a nutrient-dense diet
Consume a nutrient-rich diet full of vitamins and minerals. Prioritize eating the recommended calorie intake to prevent any nutrient deficiencies. Use Fastic to ensure you follow an adequate diet during fasting. Its wide variety of meal options allows you to enjoy fasting-friendly foods without jeopardizing your fast.
Manage stress
Incorporate stress management techniques while fasting. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and exercise are excellent ways to help your body through fasting periods and enhance the effects of fasting.
Identify your triggers
Keep a migraine diary to track changes in your diet, routine, and potential food triggers. Migraine triggers can be specific foods, caffeine, and environmental factors. Doing so will help you determine if any changes made due to fasting are the culprit of your migraines.
If you commonly suffer from migraines, ensuring adequate hydration, proper blood sugar levels, and effective stress management techniques can reduce the risk of triggering a migraine while fasting. Don’t let the possibility of migraines deter you from achieving optimal wellness through fasting.
Disclaimer: It is advised to speak with a health professional before beginning intermittent fasting or a diet program. There may be side effects for people with certain medical conditions.
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