Vestibular migraine is a kind of migraine that causes vertigo.
Vertigo patients believe they are moving when they are not or that their surroundings are moving around them when they are not. Motion sickness might feel comparable to vertigo.
A vestibular migraine attack might range from a few seconds to many hours. Its symptoms may include dizziness, lightheadedness, disorientation or confusion, nausea and vomiting, and an intense headache (1).
While migraine attacks frequently cause recurring, throbbing headaches, vestibular migraine episodes do not, making this illness difficult to detect (2).
Notably, some evidence shows that adjusting one’s lifestyle and food may help lower the frequency and severity of vestibular migraine attacks (2).
This article examines how food might impact vestibular migraine and offers a diet plan to help lessen symptoms.
How does your diet affect vestibular migraine attacks?
The specific etiology of vestibular migraine is uncertain. This disorder appears to be more frequent among women. Genetics, nutrition, lifestyle, and environment may all have a role (2, 3).
According to research, changing your diet can help lessen the frequency and severity of migraine attacks (3).
Chocolate, wine, caffeine, aged cheeses, and processed meats are common dietary factors for these episodes. Chemicals such as tyramine, nitrates, histamine, and phenylethylamine have all been associated with migraine symptoms (3, 4).
Some patients claim that if they don’t eat, their migraine symptoms intensify, indicating that fasting and skipping meals may enhance the intensity of attacks (5).
Remember that trigger foods might differ from individual to person. Some people may discover that their diet has little effect on migraine attacks.
What does a vestibular migraine diet entail?
There is no clear dietary advice for vestibular migraines at the moment.
However, evidence shows that an elimination diet may aid in identifying probable triggers (3, 6).
This method involves eliminating foods that you feel may aggravate your symptoms. Elimination diets are tailored to each individual since people react differently to different foods (3).
You then reintroduce these items one at a time, group by group, to see if any particular meal or food group causes your symptoms.
A regular elimination diet lasts 5–6 weeks. It should only be done under the guidance of a health expert, such as a nutritionist or doctor, because it raises the risk of nutritional deficiency if done poorly or for an extended period.
Keep in mind that vestibular migraine is a complicated disorder, and dietary adjustments may not affect your symptoms.
An elimination diet comprises two significant phases: elimination and reintroduction.
The elimination phase
You avoid foods that may cause vestibular migraine symptoms throughout this time.
Because you’ve removed virtually all probable trigger foods, you can determine whether diet plays a role in your symptoms.
This stage usually lasts 2–3 weeks.
The reintroduction phase
You gradually reintroduce the removed foods or dietary categories during this period.
Each food category should be introduced once over two to three days while you track how it affects your vestibular migraine symptoms.
If reintroducing a food or food group does not aggravate your attacks, it is probably safe to consume. However, a meal that causes symptoms may need to be eliminated from your diet forever.
The reintroduction phase takes another 2–3 weeks, depending on how many food categories you first removed; however, it may extend longer if your health care expert advises it.
Foods to avoid
A vestibular migraine exclusion diet should eliminate foods associated with migraine symptoms, such as (4):
- aged cheeses
- alcohol (particularly red wine and beer)
- aspartame, an artificial sweetener
- chocolate
- coffee and other caffeinated beverages
- processed meats like bacon, sausages, salami, and cured meats
Other meals that may increase symptoms but have less evidence to back them up include (4):
- the citrus fruits
- tomatoes
- onions
- lentils and beans
- MSG-laced canned soups, soup cubes, and bouillon cubes
- carbonated drinks and fruit juices
- packaged salad dressings and dips
- vitamins and herbal supplements, particularly caffeine-containing supplements
- glutamate monosodium (MSG)
- seeds and nuts
- fermented and pickled dishes
- Beef and chicken livers are examples of organ meats.
- fish that has been salted, smoked or dried
- Milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, and yogurt are examples of dairy products.
If you feel that any foods not listed above are causing your vestibular migraine symptoms, you should also visit a doctor and consider eliminating them. The diet will be more successful if you exclude more food types in the first phase.
Remember that these food categories should only be avoided during the elimination phase because they will be reintroduced afterward.
Foods to eat
While the elimination phase is limited, you may still enjoy a variety of healthful, tasty meals such as (4):
- Fruits: Most fruits, except citrus and tomatoes
- Vegetables: most vegetables, except onions, beans, and lentils
- Grain: any grain, includingrice quinoa, couscous, and oats.
- Meat, eggs, and fish: all fresh meats such as chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, eggs, and fish – but no processed or packaged meats or fish.
- Nondairy milk alternatives include coconut and oat milk.
- Healthy fats include olive, flaxseed, and coconut oils.
- Water and decaffeinated herbal teas are the beverages of choice.
- Spices and condiments: all fresh herbs and spices, as well as the majority of handmade sauces (no store-bought dressings or dips)
If you’re having trouble staying motivated at this stage, consider experimenting with different herbs and spices to enhance your recipes.
Potential downsides
While an exclusion diet may reduce vestibular migraine symptoms, it has numerous potential drawbacks.
For starters, an elimination strategy is quite limiting. It would help if you did not do it for a long time unless you are under the guidance of a health expert, such as a doctor or a dietician.
Limiting various food categories over an extended period raises your risk of nutritional deficiencies.
It’s also worth noting that avoiding trigger foods may not help everyone, as nutrition may not be a factor in everyone’s vestibular migraine attacks. What causes symptoms in one individual may not cause symptoms in another.
The bottom line
Vestibular migraine episodes, marked by vertigo, can be harrowing, but eliminating trigger foods may help alleviate symptoms.
Aged cheeses, processed meats, chocolate, coffee, MSG, and alcoholic beverages such as red wine and beer are the most prevalent dietary causes. Fasting or missing meals may also be factors.
According to some studies, an exclusion diet may aid in managing vestibular migraine symptoms by identifying particular triggers.
Because elimination diets are highly restricted, they should only be used under the direction of a medical practitioner. Remember that nutrition may not be a factor in everyone’s migraine symptoms.
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