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Related Experiment Videos

Chocolate is a migraine-provoking agent.

C M Gibb1, P T Davies, V Glover

  • 1Bernhard Baron Memorial Research Laboratories, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London.

Cephalalgia : an International Journal of Headache
|May 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Certain migraine patients sensitive to chocolate experienced attacks after consuming it, unlike those given a placebo. This study offers objective evidence linking chocolate consumption to migraine provocation in susceptible individuals.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Migraine is a common neurological disorder.
  • Dietary triggers are often suspected by patients, but objective evidence is limited.
  • Chocolate is frequently cited as a potential migraine trigger.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of chocolate to provoke migraine attacks in patients who believe they are sensitive to it.
  • To provide objective evidence regarding the chocolate-migraine link.

Main Methods:

  • A double-blind, parallel-group study was conducted.
  • Patients reporting chocolate sensitivity were challenged with either chocolate or a placebo.
  • Migraine attack onset and other parameters were monitored.

Main Results:

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  • 5 out of 12 patients (41.7%) experienced a migraine after chocolate ingestion.
  • None of the 8 patients challenged with placebo had a migraine attack (p = 0.051).
  • The median time to migraine onset following chocolate was 22 hours.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides objective evidence that chocolate can provoke migraine attacks in a subset of patients who perceive themselves as sensitive to it.
  • The findings challenge the purely psychosomatic explanation for chocolate-induced migraines in some individuals.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms involved.