Can Diet Affect Migraines, Reflux, Asthma, and Mouth Sores?
Today, let’s talk about something that bugs me constantly. Far too often, I hear people talk about their ailments. First of all, people seem to wear them like a badge of honor, as if they’re trying to prove that they’re sicker and they have it worse than anyone else. Second, contrary to popular belief (or so it seems), it’s not normal to have various minor ailments that you deal with on a daily basis. I just have trouble believing these daily annoyances are how our bodies are intended to work.
So now we’re going to look at the lifestyle factors that influence some of the daily ailments that don’t get much press. Oh, sure, we all talk about cancer, heart disease, auto-immune diseases, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. But what about the things that sufferers take for granted, like gastric reflux, migraines, and canker sores? Those ain’t normal either. Here are some dietary ways that you’re accidentally messing yourself up and making these things worse.
Gastric Reflux
This is probably the most common of all of them in this post. I mean, you can’t turn on a TV (or so I recall when I owned one) without seeing an advertisement for some drug meant to “cure” your reflux. Of course, their idea of “cure” is “manage by taking our little pill daily.” The other unfortunate piece of the puzzle is that those pills rarely fix the real problem (poor digestion), aiming instead at the suppressing acid production, which only makes digestion worse. Check this out from Dr. Briffa:
This week’s British Medical Journal carried an interesting editorial which suggests that proton pump inhibitors are massively over-prescribed. According to this editorial, between 25 and 70 per cent of individuals on these medications have no appropriate indication to be taking them…..My experience in practice is that many of these individuals are suffering from what might be described as ‘poor digestion.
So first of all, fix your digestion. Eat slower. Chew better. Add use some probiotics to reset the bacteria in your intestines.And second, avoid these dietary factors that are known to make reflux worse.
- Our old friend, gluten
- Sugar
- Refined carbohydrates
Asthma
This one is a bit squishier, in that there’s less known about whether nutrition directly impacts asthma or not.
There’s no special asthma diet. We don’t know of any foods that reduce the airway inflammation of asthma. …However, a good diet is an important part of your overall asthma treatment plan. …What’s more, many doctors suspect that the specific foods you eat might have a direct impact on your asthma. But further research needs to be done before we understand the exact connection between asthma and diet.
What is known is that people that eat healthier diets have a lower incidence of asthma, so something somewhere is affecting the way the body works.
There’s evidence that people who eat diets higher in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids have lower rates of asthma. Many of these substances are antioxidants, which protect cells from damage.One recent study of asthma and diet showed that teens with poor nutrition were more likely to have asthma symptoms. Those who didn’t get enough fruits and foods with vitamins C and E and omega-3 fatty acids were the most likely to have poor lung function. A 2007 study showed that children who grew up eating a Mediterranean diet — high in nuts and fruits like grapes, apples, and tomatoes — were less likely to have asthma-like symptoms.
So foods may not trigger an asthma attack, but it definitely looks like eating Real Food is a good way to help prevent them.
Canker Sores
Ever had one of these suckers, more technically known as aphthous ulcers, in your mouth? I haven’t in ages, but I sure do remember gargling with salt water and the burn. Oh the burn! I have known people that get these pretty religiously and they certainly don’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, they also shrug it off as part of life instead of taking steps to fix it.Good news…you can avoid these too. Food intolerance seems to be the biggie with these sores, as celiacs tend to have higher canker sore incidence, and gluten removal has shown some promise for people that get these commonly.
Supposedly, citrus fruits are thought to be a cause, but I’m inclined to think it’s something more like nutrient deficiencies which allow the acidity of the citrus fruits to damage the cells of the mouth. Deficiencies of the B-vitamins, along with some others like zinc and selenium have been positively correlated with canker sore incidence.Of course, there’s also a known genetic correlation as well, so this one might not be completely preventable, but I’m inclined to think that a good diet is a great start. I know I haven’t had one in years and I used to get a couple per year when I didn’t eat quite so well.
Migraine Headaches
Oh boy, I used to get migraines a lot during puberty. About once a month, I’d get a crusher that would send me to a dark room because light and sound were like knives in my eyes and ears. Sometimes they made me vomit. The only cure was sleeping. Luckily, those subsided as I got older.
I still occasionally get one, but it’s rare and they aren’t as bad as when I was in a growth spurt. Now, the thing about migraines that’s different than the other ailments we looked at is that it’s not always unhealthy foods that trigger these. It can just be certain amino acids in foods and there are actually some very healthy foods that can trigger migraines. For instance, avocados, oranges, and bananas are trigger foods for some people. I can vouch for avocados…normally, I can eat avocados with no concerns. But if I have a minor headache, eating an avocado is a sure-fire way to take it up several notches.
Apparently, these can also exacerbate the issue (not that these are all “healthy”):
- Alcohol, particularly red wine and beer (another one I can vouch for)
- Chocolate
- Fermented foods, due to high tyrosine content
- Nuts
- Dairy
- MSG
And of course, there’s a good bit of evidence linking our favorite culprit in…well, dang near everything, to migraines: gluten. Food intolerance, in general, is thought to be a culprit and gluten is one substance that is poorly tolerated by many people.
You Don’t Have To Be Sick
So while these ailments might not get the exposure that the less “glamorous” diseases, for people that deal with them, they definitely range from irritating to downright debilitating. Rest assured, none of this stuff is the way the body should work and you don’t have to just shrug your shoulders and say “I guess that’s the way it is for me.”
Of course, diet alone isn’t the only culprit for these, especially for things like migraines, which can also be triggered by long periods of time staring at a TV or computer screen or any number of other things. But just as in other areas of health, it’s a huge piece of the puzzle and always a good place to look for initial steps to resolve the issue.
Any other thoughts on these ailments and how lifestyle factors affect them?
About Scott
Scott Kustes loves to cook and loves to eat. He started Real Food University to help you get maximum enjoyment out of the meals that you eat. To find out more about how he has rebelled against the fast food culture and counting calories or carbs, join the Real Food Revolution.
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Very useful post. I find overdoing the dairy especially casein rich stuff like cottage cheese can be problematic when it comes to digestion and acid reflux. Although you guys nailed it by saying “So first of all, fix your digestion. Eat slower. Chew better.” that is something I try to practice but slowly slip into my old habits of eating too fast….
I used to constantly have canker sores. Since switching to a toothpaste without sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in January, I haven’t had any!
I have a friend that used to constantly get canker sores. The doc recommended that she eat some yogurt once a day, and she has for last few years and been sore free. It’s entirely anecdotal, but it has worked well for her.
Great post, Scott! I love when you hit health topics dead-on, with simple language people can understand. How food affects our health is probably the thing I talk about most on a daily basis, and my own blog is an outgrowth of that. Before I gave up gluten, I had migraines on a daily basis for about 10 years…now – I rarely get them, and like you, when I do they are less intense.Right along with improving diet, my #2 tip for people is to properly care for their adrenals…we’re a culture with widespread adrenal exhaustion due to diet, stress and our 24-hour lifestyle. Proper nutrition, getting enough sleep & rest, and exercise support good adrenal function so that you don’t fall victim to as many ailments.
There seems to be little doubt that diet can play at least some role. For instance, allergies can stimulate an immune response that would mimic, or exacerbate asthma. You raise a good point that we should always consider when being evaluated for these conditions.
Same here! Switched to SLS free toothpaste, no more canker sores (2 yrs)!
I’ve noticed the following things:Dairy (milk/cheese) –> Huge link with asthma/breathing issues…anyone who is experiencing this needs to eliminate for several weeks to see what happens.Artificial sweeteners —> Give me headaches. One diet soda can give me a migraine for a day.Heavy starch and protein meal —> Acid reflux issues….as that is a bad mix to try and digest for many.I’ve seen many people who took to drinking some apple cider vinegar (1 tbsp in water…not straight) pre-meal also help reduce acid reflux/GERD.If we all just started to listen to our body, change food and learn from what is going on….we wouldn’t need all these “lifestyle” meds out there….that and someone needs to make it illegal for pharma companies to advertise all these meds convincing so many that it is just “normal” part of life to take pills.
Spot on. When I dropped my grain consumption, my asthma went away permanently. Just in time from what I hear, as the new cfc-free inhalers don’t work as well.Eczema is another ubiquitous ailment that can be improved with diet.
What are you thoughts on doing an HCl deficiency test? I have read about suggestions on taking 200mg of HCl with Pepsin and keep adding the dosage with each protein meal until you feel a burn. Back off 200mg and stay on that until you feel a burn and so on. Does that make sense?
Ah yes! Those canker sores. I used to get them in my teens. I remember going to the doctor once because I had several along the bottom inside of my mouth and the doctor swabbed them with a stick with some kind of gray mineral on the end (it might have been sulfur or zinc?). As I remembered, the treatment stung the sores for a few seconds but after that, they seemed to go away and I never had them again. This was back in the 70′s and my good old fashion family doctor treated us with unconventional methods but they sure did work. How I miss him!By the way, I took zinc and lots of vitamin D during the winter to build up my immune system and always eat 3 brazil nuts daily to get my selenium requirements.One more thing. If anyone gets cold sores, try olive leaf extract. As soon as you feel like a cold sore coming on, start taking couple olive leaf extract tablets and it will do amazing things. They really worked for me.
I had mono when I was 15 (27 years ago) and developed multiple environmental, seasonal, and food allergies in the 6 months following my recovery. It persisted until last year when my physician (who practices functional medicine) suggested I “give up” dairy. Within three days I was “wheeze-free” and within a few months I was able to stop my steroid inhalers. The dark circles under my eyes went away along with the white bumps on my arms (that I was told were Keratosis Pilaris and uncurable). This winter I was not sick once — a complete rarity my entire life — normally I am sick (colds, bronchitis, sinus infection, etc) at least 3-4 times from November – April. I stopped gluten three years ago and it “cured” all sorts of ailments, from joint pain to chronic foul flatulence (which I had my whole life). I am now happily gluten- and dairy-free.
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[...] Can diet affect Migraines, Reflux, Asthma and Mouth Sores [...]
Chris, I have a bad habit of eating too fast too. My digestion is much better when I slow down.
I did see that mentioned as another option. But none of the anecdotes that I found seemed all that conclusive, so I didn’t include it. Glad to hear it works though!CheersScott
I suppose if it improved her digestion, it could have improved her overall nutritional status, which might have helped. Regardless, if it works, it works!CheersScott
My migraine trigger appears to be mainly spending too much time looking at a computer monitor. That was mainly what used to set me off as a kid/teen too. I’d spend a cold or rainy weekend inside playing video games with friends/siblings and Sunday would just get knocked dead. I have a slight astigmatism in my left eye and coincidentally, my migraines tend to hit about 45 degrees up and out from my left eye. TV and computer monitors don’t bother me like video games did, perhaps because I’ve grown out of the migraines, perhaps due to less eye strain following intense on-screen movement, and perhaps due to improved health in general.Oh yes…I definitely get more sleep than I used to (who didn’t burn both ends as a teenager and college student?), which likely helps too.CheersScott
Kishore, I don’t really know anything about it. I’ll ask someone that probably will though and get back to you.CheersScott
lel, That’s interesting. I wonder what the treatment was? I couldn’t find anything in a quick Google search.Thanks for the heads-up on cold sores. I don’t get them, luckily, though a large portion of the population has that Herpes virus that causes them. I’m guessing that immune system status probably has some affect on who gets hit with the cold sores that result from that virus.CheersScott
Julie, Glad to hear things have improved! Amazing what giving up allergenic foods can do. Gluten, particularly, but pasteurized milk seems to be a biggie too. Have you tried raw dairy? Wondering how that would affect you.CheersScott
Matt, I’ve heard that about eczema as well. I was a bit surprised about asthma when I started writing this article. Glad to hear it’s true! Would be great if more people knew about this.CheersScott
Greg, that’s a good point. It might not always be asthma. Could be an allergic reaction to a food.CheersScott
Mike,Dairy…here’s one that if I overindulge on, will give me a lot of mucus. I don’t eat much of it, but raw doesn’t seem to bother me.Artificial sweeteners…can’t recall when I last had them. Much in the way of sugar definitely gives me a headache.Starch + protein…this doesn’t bother me in terms of reflux, but it does seem to take longer to digest.CheersScott
Well, my doctor thinks it’s more a casein allergy so I’m not sure raw would help; I even avoid butter. Interestingly, I have known that I was allergic to dairy for years, and avoided things that are mostly whey as that would cause immediate itching/swelling/hives in my throat (milk, whey protein powders), but since I didn’t get an IMMEDIATE reaction with things like yogurt and cheese, I figured they were okay to eat. Upon giving them up, I now get an immediate reaction (itching and asthma). Most of my cravings have also gone away, and I have been able to lose some excess fat I was carrying around that no amount of calorie restriction would budge (instead I would get sick after a few weeks of reduced calories).
Scott – as I read the last sentence of your response, I got to thinking about digestion time. I have read where carbs take less time to digest than proteins. When you combine carb and protein together in a meal, do you know which gets digested first? And, whatever your body don’t use, it gets stored as fat?
Well said! Too many people just accept chronic conditions as facts of life rather than confronting them as problems that can and should be solved.About asthsma — magnesium can be a big help on that one (indirectly, by helping the body move calcium out of cells with the proper haste once it has done its job, so the cells don’t continue to “fire”). The Drs. Eades explain this well in Protein Power Lifeplan.
“Too many people just accept chronic conditions as facts of life rather than confronting them as problems that can and should be solved.”Amen to that! Unfortunately…..change (mentally) is too hard for most to want to undertake, and when presented with an “easy” way out….or change that takes effort….people opt for #1. The question then becomes, how much does one really have to suffer in order for them to “want” to change?
When I was 16, I began to suffer from migraines that – despite medications – persisted 3-5 days a week, on average. That lasted for five years until a couple of months ago when I decided to quit caffeine. The first week (during which I had arguably the worst headaches of my life and very nearly gave in to a soda or cup of coffee just to make the pain stop) was torture, but after I got over the withdrawal symptoms and continued without caffeine, I realized at the six week mark that I’d only had two migraines since quitting caffeine. It’s such a wonderful change. Having used caffeine to treat migraines for years, I never would have thought that caffeine might actually be CAUSING my migraines. I don’t assume that it would work for everyone who has to deal with these kinds of headaches, but it is something to think about.
Hi Mike great as always.I subscrbed to 30 day transform for woman and got the 56 page file but no other follow up mails on that! Wondering if there was any follow up or not??Thanks
There should be. I’ll have to check into that.
Thanks Mike I really appreciate it. Hate to miss any of your priceless and generos coaching information. You and MDA are my great motivational driving force amigo.
[...] Cure your ailments with your diet [...]
Have been diagnosed with fat on my liver and need to sort it out!!
It never ceases to amaze me how many people do not even think to consider the fact that food may be contributing to their ailments. I’ve even spoken with people with Type II diabetes that consider their affliction a “curse” while they scarf down doughnuts and pizza!On another note I have suffered from horrible migraines for years. By horrible I mean curled up in a ball in the corner of a dark room unable to move or speak.. oh and vomiting on occasion. I had gone to specialists and kept food diaries, gotten blood tests and MRIs, all to no avail. I finally just gave up and started taking Imitrex to help out with the pain.In the past few years I have become fascinated with nutrition. I stumbled across an article that talked about how gluten causes migraines and since the migraines don’t occur until 2-4 days after you eat gluten, it is very hard to trace. Needless to say, I cut it out of my diet and viola! – No more migraines. I also feel awesome, have more energy and my face cleared up. Now, when I give in to temptation and have bread, I am guaranteed a migraine 2 days later. (I had one today..woops!)This article is great, I’m sure it will be beneficial to many people!