Making the Magnesium-Migraine Link
An increasing number of doctors believe that some of the most severe cases of migraines may actually be caused by an imbalance of key minerals such as magnesium and calcium.
To understand why magnesium might do the trick, it helps to take a look at how migraines happen.
Migraines are thought to be caused by vascular changes, or changes in the blood vessels, that reduce blood or oxygen flow in the scalp and brain. What causes these vascular changes? Things such as muscle contractions during times of stress and biochemicals called catecholamines and serotonin, which are circulating in the blood. Too much serotonin can cause blood flow to slow; too little can cause blood to move through too rapidly.
While mainstream researchers have long known that changes in serotonin and catecholamine levels cause migraine pain, stopping these changes has been a hit-or-miss proposition. An aspirin, for example, temporarily inhibits the effects of serotonin but does nothing to prevent a migraine from coming back.
It's very likely that magnesium deficiency is a widespread cause of migraines. Studies show that many people don't even come close to getting the daily value of magnesium, which is 400 milligrams. On a daily basis, 30 to 40 percent of American people take less than 75 percent of the daily value of magnesium.
What's more, several different things, from the caffeine in just two cups of coffee a day to the chemicals in most asthma medications, remove some magnesium from your system.Even stress, a frequent cause of migraines, can remove magnesium from your system.