Eating a diet rich in thiamine, the B1 vitamin may decrease the likelihood of severe headache or migraine, according to a recent study of more than 13,000 participants published in the journal Headache.¹

Li et al examined a link between severe headache or migraine and daily dietary intake of two B vitamins - thiamine (vitamin B1) and riboflavin (vitamin B2) in this cross-sectional study. Data for participants was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004, which evaluates the nutritional status and health of adults and children in the United States.

Nearly 22% (n = 2745) of the 13,439 persons included in the study reported severe headache or migraine in the preceding 3 months. They had a lower thiamine intake. Those who consumed high amounts of thiamine were less likely to experience severe headache or migraine with odds ratio (OR) of 0.93, particularly among the female participants. No such association was observed for riboflavin.

By demonstrating the inverse association between thiamine and severe headache/migraine, this study highlights the role of diet in migraine headaches. It suggests but does not make a recommendation that supplementing thiamine in persons suffering from frequent migraines may prevent or reduce the intensity of their headache.

Reference

1. Li D, et al. Dietary intake of thiamine and riboflavin in relation to severe headache or migraine: A cross-sectional survey. Headache. 2022 Sep 1. doi: 10.1111/head.14384.