Your Health by Dr. Rallie McAllister

A migraine is more than just a bad headache. For millions of Americans, migraines are often so painful and debilitating that they significantly reduce the quality and enjoyment of life.

Even worse, the headaches can be associated with other, more serious health conditions. Studies show that among all migraine sufferers, including men and women, the risk of experiencing a stroke is more than double that of people without the condition.

The risk of stroke among women migraine sufferers is especially high. In an article published in Stroke: the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers reported that women who experienced a recent onset of migraine with visual symptoms were almost seven times more likely to suffer a stroke compared to women with no history of the headaches.

Once a migraine starts, it can be difficult to stop, making prevention of the attacks especially important. Research suggests that the mineral magnesium plays a major role in migraine prevention.

As the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body, magnesium is essential for good health. The mineral is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions and is a key factor in maintaining normal heart rhythm, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Magnesium also helps regulate levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to be involved in the onset of migraine headaches. In the brain, fluctuating serotonin levels can send blood vessels into spasm, stretching delicate nerve endings and generating pain in the process.

In addition to pain, migraine sufferers often experience nausea and vomiting, visual changes, and extreme sensitivity to bright light and loud noises. Migraine symptoms may dissipate in a few hours, but for some unfortunate folks, they can persist for several days.

The headaches and accompanying symptoms can be triggered by a number of factors, including stress, fatigue, food sensitivities and environmental allergies. Although triggers can vary from person to person, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that many migraine sufferers have one thing in common — relatively low levels of the mineral magnesium.

For these individuals, a daily dose of magnesium can help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of migraine attacks. The results of numerous studies support the daily use of supplemental magnesium for the prevention of migraine headaches.

In one such study, German researchers evaluated the effects of oral magnesium on 81 adult migraine sufferers.

Half the subjects received 600 milligrams magnesium citrate daily for 12 weeks, while the other half received placebo pills.

During the final four weeks of the study, the frequency of migraine attacks was reduced by 41.6 percent in the patients who received supplemental magnesium, compared to a 15.8 percent reduction in the placebo group.

In an article published in the March 2009 issue of the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, researchers at The New York Headache Center offered compelling evidence supporting the use of magnesium as a simple, inexpensive, safe and well-tolerated option for the prevention and treatment of migraine headaches.

While oral supplementation is known to help prevent migraine headaches in some people, intravenous administration of magnesium may be required to stop a migraine attack in progress. In individuals with acute onset migraine headaches, an intravenous injection of magnesium sulfate has been shown to quickly and dramatically reduce both the intensity and duration of pain and other symptoms.

If you want to boost magnesium levels in your body, you can start by eating a magnesium-rich diet. Many foods are good sources of the mineral, including dark green vegetables, whole grains, beans, bananas and seafood.

Eating magnesium-rich foods can be helpful, but taking a nutritional supplement may be necessary to correct a significant deficiency. For migraine prevention, the recommended dose is generally 400 milligrams to 600 milligrams magnesium daily.

High quality magnesium supplements are normally safe and well tolerated by healthy individuals, with the most common side effect being diarrhea. If you suffer from constipation, you might consider this laxative effect a bonus benefit.

For people with certain medical conditions, including heart disease and kidney disorders, supplemental magnesium can be unsafe and shouldn't be taken without a physician's supervision. Regardless of your health, it's wise to consult your doctor before you get started.

Taking magnesium may not eliminate migraine headaches completely, but there's a good chance it can help reduce the frequency, severity and duration of the attacks. For migraine sufferers in search of relief, a daily dose of magnesium might be worth trying.

Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including "Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom's Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim." Her Website is www.rallieonhealth.com. To find out more about Rallie McAllister, M.D., and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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