If you have ever had a migraine, you get how debilitating it can be. If you haven’t experienced it (and hopefully never will), it can be best described as a headache causing severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation (usually) on one side of the head. It can be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and can last from hours to days, interfering with daily activities. So, not a nice experience at all.
No wonder people are constantly looking for ways to fight this nasty condition. Of course, turning to anti-pain medication seems like the most sensible solution, but it doesn’t always work. So, that makes people look for other ways to ease the pain.
Migraines can be a debilitating experience, as one comes with extreme pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound
Image credits: Valeriia Miller / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
So, no wonder people who experience them are eager to find ways to fight it
Interestingly enough, some people have noticed that in this case, one unhealthy thing actually works like medicine – diet Coke and french fries, something that’s been dubbed a McMigraine meal. Sounds too weird to be true? Well, let the experts have a say in it.
Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center, says that the reason why Coke helps with a migraine has to do with the fact that it contains caffeine – a 12-ounce serving has 46 milligrams of it.
Image credits: Stepanenco Valeria / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
For some, diet Coke and French fries do the job
Basically, as Dharti Dua, MD, a neurologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains, during migraines, a process called vasodilation (blood vessels widening) occurs. At the same time, caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it narrows blood vessels. Additionally, it binds to specific receptors in the brain, which lowers pain perception. That’s why caffeine is sold as a component of over-the-counter migraine medications.
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Experts say it's due to the ingredients in them - caffeine and sodium, which are known for pain-easing properties
Then, what about the french fries, why do they work? Well, just as with Diet Coke, the key is one ingredient – in this case, it’s the sodium. Essentially, Dr. Segil says that the salt on fries increases levels of sodium in the blood, which causes the brain to get smaller and decreases headache pains. In fact, brain injuries are often treated with salt to decrease any edema or swelling, so no surprise that it works for migraines too.
Yet, despite the McMigraine meal working wonders for the condition, not all doctors recommend it due to the fact that it is still unhealthy food. So, while partaking in such a cure once in a while won’t hurt that much, making it a common habit isn’t a well-thought-out choice.
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Diet Coke can also simply be exchanged for simple coffee, which also contains caffeine, so it might work just as well, if not better. It also can be paired with pain-relieving medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the best results, something that would be called “dual therapy”.
Of course, being mindful of high doses of caffeine is important too, to make sure it doesn’t cause negative effects like insomnia or anxiety. Also, if the migraines are happening frequently, talking to healthcare providers is crucial too, to go through possible treatment options.
While the combo can be useful to fight migraines, it shouldn't be a go-to method, as it there are way healthier alternatives that might work
