If you’re reading this then you like me have suffered from Migraines and I’m sure you’ve taken many medications to help deal with the attack when it begins. In fact many of us carry around pain medication with us where ever we go just on the off chance that we get struck down while in the middle of something.

Well if you’ve read any of my other articles you’ve learned about easy ways that allow you to take better care of yourself. And taking care of yourself is the key to dealing with your migraines. By lowering your stress levels, eating better, eliminating trigger foods and getting some regular exercise you can start to minimize your attacks and perhaps even the intensity of pain you feel when you do get one.

But there’s still one piece missing. To live migraine free you need to be able to keep your body in a healthy state. So we here at the Migraine Freedom Team have put together a list of natural vitamins, nutrients and herbs that are particularly helpful for migraineurs.

1) Magnesium

Magnesium is critical to your health and research points to a relationship between migraine and magnesium deficiency. One hypothesis is Magnesium’s critical function in expanding muscles and opening up the blood vessels located in the brain. It has no serious side effects beyond diarrhea if taken in excessive amounts. In fact, in cases where migraine headaches have been bad enough to send the migraine sufferer to the emergency room its been that intravenous magnesium sulfate can eliminate a migraine within 15 minutes.

2) Vitamin B2

Also known as riboflavin, vitamin B2 is required for a wide variety of cellular processes. Like the other B vitamins, it plays a key role in energy production in your mitochondria. Mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to be a factor for migraine sufferers. Studies where patients used 400mg of vitamin B2 daily were shown to significantly decrease migraines frequency and intensity.

3) Feverfew

Feverfew is a traditional medicinal herb. It has historically been used for reducing fever, treating headaches, arthritis and digestive problems. What it does is helps relax the blood vessels in your brain and reduce inflammation. Both of these are key elements in migraine headache attacks.

4) Butterbur

It was used by native Americans as a remedy for headache and inflammation. Butterbur studies have shown an association between Butterbur and a decrease in migraine frequency. It seems to do this through its strong anti-inflammatory properties. It’s also very safe showing no side effects even in children. The only caveat to be aware of is that Butterbur naturally contains chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA’s) which are toxic to the liver so it is important to be careful when taking a butterbur supplement that it comes from an extract that’s free of these chemicals.

5) Co-Enzyme Q10

The Mitochondria in our cells work to produce energy for the body through a process known as oxidative phosphorylation. It has been found that at least a subset of migraineurs have a dysfunction in their mitochondria’s ability to perform this process. In studies, Co Q10 has been shown to help improve energy production in the mitochondria of human cells. Co-enzyme Q10 is very safe even in large doses and has a host of other health benefits protecting the heart, providing more energy and being a powerful anti-oxidant and more.

6) Essential Fatty Acids

It is believed that neurogenic-inflammation (inflammation in the brain) is involved in the causation of migraines. Our cells contain an enzyme that causes inflammation. It is normally used to protect us when when we’re injured, dealing with allergies, or when in diseased states. The body also has an enzyme that naturally decreases inflammation. However, when the ratio of inflammatory to anti-inflammatory enzymes becomes unbalanced (they easily can due to pollution, stress, and toxins) the result is damage and the deterioration of your body similar to a car overheating after being run too hard and too long. The result can range from arthritis in your joints, damage to the brain causing Alzheimer’s disease, damage to your arteries causing hearth attacks and stroke or in this case contributing to your migraine attacks. Essential fatty acids have the nutrients that your body needs to bring these enzymes back into balance cooling the inflammation of your body and brain.

This list may seem like a lot to take but it results in a migraine cure that really works. Now to avoid having to take handfuls of pills (I try to keep my pill popping to an absolute minimum when ever possible) you should look for a product that contains a combination of ingredients in one. That way you get the benefit of fortifying yourself in multiple ways at once while lowering the number of pills you have to take daily.

To your migraine freedom!

Health and Personal Care Disclaimer

The content in this email is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist or other health care professional. You should not use this information for self diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Information and statements concerning dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent and disease or health condition