Sauerkraut Can Trigger Headaches

NaturalNews today ran an article on Sauerkraut offers a spectrum of health benefits. While sauerkraut can be a very tasty dish, what this article did NOT mention is that for some individuals it can, also, trigger headaches and even migraine, and cluster headaches.

A poor dietary choice of foods to eat can trigger headaches.

Personally, I used to enjoy cooking sauerkraut sprinkled with caraway seeds. But overtime by listening to my body I came to realize that I ALWAYS ended up with a headache after a meal that contained tasty sauerkraut. I enjoy the way sauerkraut tastes, but for me it is simply NOT worth ever getting a headache over.

"Histamine in food at non-toxic doses has been proposed to be a major cause of food intolerance causing symptoms like diarrhea, hypotension, headache, pruritus and flush ("histamine intolerance"). Histamine-rich foods such as cheese, sausages, sauerkraut, tuna, tomatoes, and alcoholic beverages may contain histamine up to 500 mg/kg."[1]

 

Food Intolerance - Histamines

Listening to your body is aways important. Any food intolerances in your diet can adversely affect your health. Other foods that are well known to cause health related problems, are soy, excessive consumption of coleslaw or raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, and Chinese food cooked with MSG seasoning. MSG can cause headaches while soy and cruciferous vegetables can adversely affect the thyroid in some individuals.

Why is sauerkraut a problem for sensitive people? It appears to be the amine family of chemicals. Sauerkraut contains both tyramine and histamine which some research[2] has linked to headaches and even migraine and cluster headaches.

 

Histamine Intolerance

Histame™ Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Enzyme

Histamine intolerance occurs when susceptible people eat foods, such as sauerkraut, that are high in naturally occurring histamine. One of the most common symptoms of histamine intolerance is migraine headaches. One possible alternative to giving up sauerkraut in your diet is to try supplementing with a Diamine Oxidase (DAO) Enzyme dietary supplement, such as Histame™.

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References:

1. Histamine intolerance-like symptoms in healthy volunteers after oral provocation with liquid histamine.
   Wöhrl S, Hemmer W, Focke M, ...
   Allergy Asthma Proc. 2004 Sep-Oct;25(5):305-11.
   PMID: 15603203
2. Tyramine sensitivity in dietary migraine: a critical review.
   Kohlenberg RJ.
   Headache. 1982 Jan;22(1):30-4. Review.
   PMID: 17152742
3. [Histamine and tyramine levels in selected food products].
   Gajewska R, Lipka E, Ganowiak Z.
   Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. 1991;42(1):1-7. Polish.
   PMID: 1788507