We’re all certainly well aware that the food we put in our bodies has both direct and indirect effects on our health and well-being. We can decrease fatty foods to lose weight and trim our waistline. We can increase carbs to power up with a burst of energy and consume lean protein to help build healthy muscle mass.
And recently, a new report suggests that decreasing our intake of salt can significantly reduce instances of headache pain.
In a Johns Hopkins study of some 400 people outlined in the journal BMJ Open, participants took part in three 30-day monitored eating periods.
Each participant ate food with high sodium during one period, intermediate sodium during another and low sodium during another period. Then, at the end of each feeding period, the participants completed questionnaires on occurrence and severity of headache. Then, at the end of each feeding period, the participants completed questionnaires on occurrence and severity of headache.
The results showed reducing salt intake from nine grams a day to three grams a day decreased instances of headaches by 31 percent during the study period.
“A reduced sodium intake was associated with a significantly lower risk of headache, while dietary patterns had no effect on the risk of headaches in adults,” said Lawrence Appel, of John Hopkins University. “Reduced dietary sodium intake offers a novel approach to prevent headaches.”
Dr. Appel notes in the study that worldwide, some 46% adults complain of an active headache disorder that results in poor quality of life and absence from work. And according to the American Heart Association (AHA), most people in the US consume about 3,400 mg of sodium a day, which is more than twice the 1,500 mg suggested by the organization.
Do you suffer from chronic headache pain? Call us and let’s discuss how together, we can craft a low-sodium diet plan that’s sure to improve your overall well-being, will certainly lower your blood pressure, and likely – based on this new research – ease your piercing headaches.