Can this nutrient-rich smoothie help prevent migraine? Experts weigh in

Skipping breakfast is said to be a known trigger for migraine headaches. But can a nutrient-rich smoothie prevent it as claimed by nutritionist Kiran Kukreja? According to her, apart from lifestyle changes, essential nutrients in your food can help curb the migraine triggers. “Magnesium, zinc, calcium, and potassium help in curing migraines,” said Kukreja in an Instagram reel.

As such, she recommended a smoothie made of nuts like soaked almonds, walnuts, and poppy seeds which is then blended with cow’s milk.

How to prepare the smoothie?

Ingredients

5 no – Almonds, soaked
2 no – Walnuts
1 spoon – Poppy seeds
2 no – Pitted dates
150-200ml – Cow milk

Method

*Soak 5 almonds, 2 walnuts, and one spoon of poppy seeds for 4-5 hours.
*After that, grind these soaked ingredients with 2 pitted dates and 150-200 ml of cow’s milk.

How to have it?

Kukreja recommended drinking this smoothie once a day (preferably in the evening).

Kukreja said that ingredients like almonds, poppy seeds, and walnuts are rich in magnesium, which plays a role in relaxing blood vessels and potentially reducing the frequency and severity of migraines. “Having a balanced diet is highly important along with this remedy to cure migraine problems,” said Kukreja.

Can a smoothie help? (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

So, we decided to infer from our in-house experts whether this remedy works.

Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad noted that this smoothie is a not very specific remedy for migraine prevention or treatment. “This smoothie is healthy and may be recommended as one of the options,” said Dr Kumar.

A person suffering from migraine mustn’t skip breakfast. “The ideal time to have breakfast is 1-2 hours after waking up and preferably before 8 am. Breakfast can be any healthy option,” said Dr Kumar.

According to Dr Dilip Gude, senior consultant physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, supplementing a sumptuous breakfast with alpha lipoic acid, vitamins B3, B12, D, and coenzyme Q10 are known to improve the severity of migraine. “Antioxidant-rich seeds and nuts like almonds are known to have anti-inflammatory properties and help in curbing migraine attacks. Smoothies rich in the above-discussed nutrients if taken may prevent migraine attacks provided a balanced diet is followed,” said Dr Gude.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kiran Kukreja| Nutritionist| Weight Management| Skin & Hair (@nuttyovernutritionn)

Dr Kumar said that people with migraine should be especially aware of trigger foods and should avoid them. This may include too much coffee, cheese, chocolates, cakes, Chinese food, etc. It is not that every migraine patient would have hypersensitivity to the same food items. So, it is essential for each migraine sufferer to identify which of the foods trigger their migraine attacks,” said Dr Kumar.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.