Why That Banana or Onion Might Feel Like Three Martinis

From WSJ.com

Woke up with a hangover? It isn't just heavy alcohol consumption that can bring on a massive headache the next day; some researchers say a range of unexpected foods, from cheese to pickles to citrus fruit, can do the same.A Johns Hopkins neurologist has put a career's worth of advice into his new book. He says food can trigger pain.

The idea that eating, say, a banana or onion can trigger a headache is controversial. What little scientific research has been done on the subject has often been inconclusive. And most studies depend on patients reporting what they ate before headaches set in, data that aren't always reliable.

What's more, the possible biological links between food and headache aren't clearly understood. Some experts believe there may be a chemical reaction that leads to some headaches, while others think foods could trigger a vascular response involving nerves and blood vessels around the head. A newer theory suggests that certain foods may prompt an immune-system response that triggers headache. A possible culprit is tyramine, a naturally occurring chemical in food.

An estimated 10% to 15% of the population suffers from repeated migraines, mostly women, while as many as 40% of people regularly get common headaches. Headaches can be triggered by a range of things, from stress to lack of sleep to a change in the weather, and every person is susceptible to different triggers, or combination of triggers. Experts say food can be another factor that sets off a headache. But a big difference is that people might be able to avoid the foods that prompt the ailment, says David Buchholz, an associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University and author of the book "Heal Your Headache."

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