A recent study published in "Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain" examined the link between the common symptoms of migraines in IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and removing common food sensitivities in the diet. It is well known that food sensitivites can affect not only the digestive system, but also contribute to skin issues, weight gain, and headaches/migraines, among other things. A little immune protein called IgG (immunoglobulin G) binds to food proteins that end up in the blood (where they shouldn't be), sending a red flag to the immune system that something is not right. Over time, these protein-food complexes can cause damage to your tissue, resulting in some of the symptoms I mentioned above.

When the subjects in the study removed the "food allergens" (the food proteins that end up where they shouldn't be), they noticed:

Decreased migraine attack frequency
Decreased Migraine attack severity
Decreased migraine attack duration
Decreased Pain from bloating
Increase in overall quality of life

That's a pretty big deal! Migraines can often be debilitating, affecting work, and overall quality of life. If you suffer from chronic migraines, identification and removal of food sensititivites may be the missing link!

These food sensitivities can be identified by visiting your Naturopathic Doctor, who will perform a simple blood test that assesses how your body reacts to common foods. Your ND will assist you in a plan for eliminating these foods, and more importantly, finding nutritious foods to replace them with.

If you would like more information, feel free to contact me, or visit www.polohealth.com to book an appointment!

In health,

Dr. K

Here's a link to the article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23216231