Nitrites & Migraines

Nitrates and nitrates are ammonia-based salts found in plants. Both are thought to trigger migraine headache attacks in some migraine sufferers. Nitrites are added to fresh meat to kill bacteria and keep the meat looking pink or red, according to "Migraines For Dummies."

Significance

• If a person suffering from migraines discovers that nitrites can trigger a migraine, then the person can avoid foods with nitrites to avert migraines. This may not completely eliminate migraines, but may cause them to come less frequently.

Expert Advice

• Not everyone who has migraines will react to nitrites. In order to discover your personal migraine food triggers, the National Headache Foundation suggests keeping a diary of what foods were eaten, medications taken and when migraines occurred.

Speculation

• Nitrites may only become a trigger when eaten in combination with nitrates. Although beets, radishes and spinach contain nitrites, but not nitrates, they are not common migraine food triggers, according to "Migraines For Dummies."

Sources

• Nitrites and nitrates can be found in lunch meats, aged meats, aged cheeses, hot dogs, beets, radishes, caviar, soy sauce, pickled fish, dried fish and meat tenderisers, according to the University of California, Berkeley.

Warning

• Some heart medications may contain nitrites, but do not stop taking heart medications. Talk to a doctor or heart specialist, cautions "Migraines For Dummies."