Migraines are debilitating ailments that often strike people out of the blue and can quickly halt an otherwise productive or fun filled day. Sadly, despite the prevalence of migraines, doctors are still unsure of the exact causes of a migraine. While women are more predisposed to migraines than men, numerous theories have been proposed in an effort to identify the origins of a migraine. Swelling of certain brain cells, an absence of the brain chemical serotonin, swelling of arteries coursing through the brain and genetic predisposition have all been examined as potential causes of migraines but findings to date have been inconclusive.

Nevertheless, there are treatment options available for dealing with the symptoms of migraines. So far, only experimental surgery has been found to provide significant migraine reduction but, again, these findings are inconclusive. Therefore, medications are the most common treatment available for combating migraines and their symptoms. Beyond painkillers, anti inflammatory drugs and analgesics, magnesium for migraines is one potential treatment option.

This mineral, beyond the suspected migraine reduction benefits, is essential in regulating over three hundred metabolic processes. Not only does magnesium control the synthesis of certain proteins in the body, it also provides energy for many of the body’s cellular processes. Furthermore, the synthesis and replication of DNA and RNA strands depend on magnesium for fuel during several stages of replication.

Still, magnesium may have other uses beyond these essential bodily processes. Several studies have been conducted by researchers on magnesium affecting migraines that shows patients who suffer from migraines benefit from a reduced frequency of the ailment, around forty percent reduced in appearance, and a significantly diminished intensity of symptoms. Nevertheless, these findings have been handicapped because the exact cause of migraines still remains unclear. This in turn casts doubt on these findings as researchers are unable to clearly state what exactly magnesium does to inhibit the manifestation of migraines.

It is theorized that the brain chemical serotonin may be a factor in the development of migraines. Having levels of serotonin too low may cause a person to suffer from migraines regularly. Magnesium has been shown to increase the level of serotonin in the body by stimulating cells in the body that control the production of this chemical. Furthermore, magnesium also affects nitric oxide synthesis and release and NMDA receptors, both of which are suspected culprits behind the appearance of migraines.

While the method in which magnesium for migraines interacts to relieve symptoms is still unclear, augmenting your diet with magnesium is a relatively simple process. Supplements exist that combine magnesium with calcium, an important additives as the body can only properly absorb magnesium if it is bonded with calcium. However, for those who are uncomfortable popping pills, there are many foods that are rich in magnesium and provide a natural boost of this essential mineral. Such foods include peanuts, almonds, brown rice, hazel nuts, bananas, beans, tofu, soy beans, avocado, broccoli, spinach, chard, tomato paste, sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, chocolate, succotash, cooked artichoke, black-eyed peas, whole-grain cereals, cooked okra, acorn squash, chickpeas, split peas, lentils, kiwi and apricots. Be cautious when consuming these foods if you suffer from migraines as several of them are known triggers of the ailment.