The Truth About Chocolate and Migraine: Trigger or Craving?

Under: Health Library, Migraine & Headache, Migraine Library

Ever reached for chocolate, only to be hit by a migraine soon after? If so, you’re not alone. Chocolate tops the list of migraine-trigger foods. But is chocolate really the culprit, or just an innocent bystander? After all, some people with migraine eat chocolate without any issues.

Which begs the question: Does chocolate truly trigger migraine–or do we just crave chocolate before a migraine strikes? Keep reading as we dive into the research on the link between chocolate and migraine.

Does Chocolate Trigger Migraine Attacks?

According to a 2020 review in the journal Nutrients, there isn’t solid evidence to back this up.

The review looked at 25 studies to assess whether the whole ‘chocolate is a migraine trigger’ myth was true. Of those, 23 studies found chocolate to be a migraine trigger–but only for a small group of people. It varied from 1.3% to 33% depending on the study.

And here’s the kicker. Most of those studies had participants recall their triggers from a list once their migraine was over. Meaning, their beliefs about migraine triggers could heavily influence the results.

What’s more, three of the studies were double-blind and compared chocolate as a migraine trigger to a placebo. They found no difference between the chocolate and placebo groups in triggering migraine.

So for now, the evidence is unclear. More research is needed to understand chocolate’s role in migraine. But clearly, chocolate isn’t a problem for all migraineurs.

Can Migraines Make You Crave Chocolate?

Much of the chocolate migraine fear comes from personal anecdotes. Someone eats a hunk of chocolate cake and then gets a migraine shortly after. Their mind backtracks to what may have caused the attack and chocolate gets the blame.

While it may seem like chocolate is the culprit–the chocolate cravings may be a sign of an impending migraine.

Food cravings are a common symptom of prodrome, the first phase of a migraine attack. During prodrome, also known as the premonitory phase, your body sends signals that a migraine is on its way.

Common prodrome symptoms include yawning, fatigue, neck pain, and yes–cravings for certain foods. You can learn more about prodrome here.

The most common prodrome cravings are for sugary, fatty, and salty foods. And chocolate checks off the sugary and fatty boxes to a T.

Prodrome symptoms are usually more subtle than the aura or headache phase. Because of this, they often fly under the radar and people miss them.

This can make people assume chocolate caused their migraine attack. When really, their chocolate craving was a sign a migraine had already started.

The Stress, Hormone, and Chocolate Connection

Another thing to consider is the connection between chocolate, hormones, and stress.

Stress is by far the most common migraine trigger–affecting nearly 80% of migraineurs. And as you may have noticed, we tend to crave more sweets when we’re stressed.

That’s because when we’re under stress our body needs more energy. And chocolate’s combo of sugar and caffeine makes it the perfect food for a quick shot of energy.

So you eat a chocolate bar, get a migraine a few hours later, and figure the chocolate must have caused it. When really stress was the true trigger.

Hormones may play a role as well. Many women get ‘menstrual migraines’ right before their period due to hormonal shifts. And chocolate cravings are common this time of the month too. As estrogen and progesterone dip, it can stir up cravings for sugar and carbs to boost your energy and mood.

Meaning, you may reach for chocolate because your hormones are off, get a migraine, and then assume the chocolate was the bad guy. When hormone changes were really to blame.

Should People With Migraine Avoid Chocolate?

It depends. If you notice you get migraines every time you eat chocolate without fail, then you may want to avoid it.

But most people with migraine can eat chocolate without any issues.

There’s not enough evidence to prove if chocolate is really a migraine trigger. Even if it was, migraine triggers vary from person to person. Just because your best friend gets migraines after they eat chocolate, doesn’t mean you will.

Keeping a migraine diary can help you nail down your unique triggers. Be sure to track those subtle prodrome symptoms too like neck pain, fatigue, or excessive yawning. This can help you pinpoint if chocolate is really a trigger–or if a migraine was already in motion.

You may find you’re fine with small amounts of chocolate. But since chocolate is high in sugar, it’s best to not overdo it–whether you have migraine or not!

Eating a healthy diet is a key part of migraine prevention. So when you do indulge, opt for healthier versions like dark chocolate, ideally with at least 70% cacao.

Benefits of Dark Chocolate for Migraineurs

While chocolate may get a bad rap, it contains many beneficial compounds for people with migraine.

For example, chocolate is rich in magnesium and riboflavin–two key nutrients for migraine prevention.

Magnesium is a mineral that relaxes blood vessels and calms overexcited nerves that can trigger migraines. Unfortunately, people with migraine tend to have lower levels of magnesium.

The good news? Studies show supplementing with magnesium can help prevent migraines. And dark chocolate is a delicious way to add more magnesium to your diet.

Chocolate is also high in riboflavin (vitamin B2), a nutrient that boosts mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial dysfunction is said to play a role in migraine. Riboflavin supplementation can reduce the frequency and duration of migraine attacks, according to research.

On top of that, dark chocolate is high in tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into the ‘feel good’ neurotransmitter serotonin. People with migraine often have low levels of serotonin. When serotonin is low, it can cause depression and dilate the blood vessels, which may trigger migraine.

Eating more tryptophan-rich foods like dark chocolate is an easy way to increase your serotonin. This may, in turn, boost your mood and help keep migraine at bay. One study found that people who consumed more tryptophan in their diet were 54-60% less likely to develop migraine.

Takeaways

There isn’t enough scientific evidence to prove if chocolate is truly a migraine trigger. Yes, a small number of people get migraine attacks after eating chocolate. But not enough for chocolate to be off-limits for all migraineurs.

Many people also get cravings for sugary foods like chocolate during the first stage of migraine. This means their chocolate cravings may be a symptom that their migraine already started.

If you feel strongly that chocolate is a trigger for you, then, by all means, avoid it. But many migraineurs are fine with small amounts of chocolate. This is good since chocolate has many beneficial nutrients for migraine, like magnesium, riboflavin, and tryptophan.

In the end, what you choose to eat, or not eat, is up to you. To learn more about your triggers, download our free migraine diary and trigger tracker.

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