Limit Caffeine, Limit Migraines

By Editorial Staff

Headaches are no big deal, right? Not if you've ever suffered one. All it takes is one headache, particularly a migraine, to change your tune. After that, you'll do just about anything to avoid experiencing a second one.

It's called caffeine, and millions upon millions use it to start their day in a cup (or two, or four) of coffee. In recent years, caffeine has also become a popular energy booster in many energy drinks and pre-workout formulations. In other words, caffeine is everywhere.

And so are migraines, which affect a whopping 1 billion adults worldwide. Which raises the question: Can limiting caffeine intake limit headaches? Yes, suggests research findings presented in the American Journal of Medicine. Now here's the great news: You don't need to cut out caffeine altogether to do it.

According to the study, 1-2 caffeinated beverages per day is not associated with a higher risk of migraines, but three or more – well, now you could be in trouble. Limiting caffeine intake (1-2 drinks per day) did not make migraine sufferers more likely to suffer one on that day (unless they rarely drank caffeinated beverages, in which case they did have an increased migraine risk with only 1-2 drinks). Higher levels of caffeine intake (three or more drinks) increased the odds of a migraine not only on that day, but also the following one, among both regular and rare consumers of caffeine.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: Limit caffeine, limit migraines! If you're drinking caffeine to wake up in the morning, get ready for your workout or just "make it through the day," stick with the decaf and try other energy boosters instead. Think exercise, B-vitamin-loaded and other foods, and bedtime habits that help you wake up rested, restored and ready to take on the world ... caffeine free.