Migraines & Your Gut

by Ward W. Bond, PhD

​Popeye never had a migraine headache. Want to know why? Spinach of course! Spinach is a food that targets the entire digestive tract, both the alimentary section of the body which consists of the stomach, duodenum, small intestines and then the colon.
 
Migraines can be caused by many things such as hormones, food sensitivities, food allergies, chemicals, pollutions, stress and yes your gut. The gut is the most forgotten part of the body when people suffer with migraines. Pain medicines may help for a short time, but there’s a vital connection between your gut and your brain.
 
Spinach is used for the cleansing, reconstruction and regeneration of the intestinal tract. If you’re constipated, spinach can relieve this condition in a few days or weeks. When people are constipated they can become irritable, grumpy, fatigued, sluggish and the list goes on and on. A toxic colon will lead to a toxic brain and the brain is very sensitive to toxins, chemicals and poor food choices. All of which can lead to migraines that never go away.
 
The vagus nerve is a nerve that runs from the brain to the gut and back up again. If the gut isn’t healthy, the brain will respond in a negative way. In people with fatigue, food sensitivities, anxiety, gut problems, brain fog, and depersonalization, the vagus nerve is almost always at play.  These people have lower vagal tone, which means a lower ability of the vagus nerve to activate or perform its functions.
 
The word vagus means “wanderer,” because it wanders all over the body to various important organs.
 
The vagus nerve connects to the brain, gut (intestines, stomach), heart, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidney, ureter, spleen, lungs, fertility organs (females), neck (including the pharynx, larynx, esophagus), ears and tongue. If take a close look, you’ll many of the organs that are involved in digestion and elimination and this is the reason for many with migraines problems related to poor gut health.
 
Spinach isn’t the only cure for migraines, but it’s an easy inexpensive remedy found in the produce department at your grocery store. The best way is to juice the spinach and drink it daily for better digestion, gut health and elimination. Never eat cooked spinach due to the creation of oxalic acid that can found stones in the kidneys. It’s best made into a juice for healing and eaten raw for better health.
 
Eating fermented foods such as miso, tempeh, kimchi, kefir and taking a daily probiotic will help to improve your overall gut health. When your gut is healthy, the brain is healthy and every organ in the body is healthy. When you’re healthy, the a less likely chance of ever getting a migraine caused by your eating habits.
 
Popeye the sailor man, you never had a migraine again!