Forskning

December 14, 2021

Nutrients to Improve Mitochondrial Function to Reduce Brain Energy Deficit and Oxidative Stress in Migraine

M Fila et al, 2021. Nutrients to Improve Mitochondrial Function to Reduce Brain Energy Deficit and Oxidative Stress in Migraine, Nutrients, Volume 13.

ABSTRACT:

The mechanisms of migraine pathogenesis are not completely clear, but 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance studies revealed brain energy deficit in migraineurs. As glycolysis is the main process of energy production in the brain, mitochondria may play an important role in migraine pathogenesis. Nutrition is an important aspect of migraine pathogenesis, as many migraineurs report food-related products as migraine triggers. Apart from approved anti-migraine drugs, many vitamins and supplements are considered in migraine prevention and therapy, but without strong supportive evidence. In this review, we summarize and update information about nutrients that may be important for mitochondrial functions, energy production, oxidative stress, and that are related to migraine. Additionally, we present a brief overview of caffeine and alcohol, as they are often reported to have ambiguous effects in migraineurs. The nutrients that can be considered to supplement the diet to prevent and/or ameliorate migraine are riboflavin, thiamine, magnesium ions, niacin, carnitine, coenzyme Q10, melatonin, lipoic acid, pyridoxine, folate, and cobalamin. They can supplement a normal, healthy diet, which should be adjusted to individual needs determined mainly by the physiological constitution of an organism. The intake of caffeine and alcohol should be fine-tuned to the history of their use, as withdrawal of these agents in regular users may become a migraine trigger.

This review includes a short section on caffeine:

Caffeine may stimulate ETC by restoring the activity of complex IV, as was shown in septic rats by Verma et al. [167]. Tea and coffee contain thiaminases, enzymes degrading thiamine [69]. As stated above, thiamine may have a protective potential in migraine, and caffeine can be considered as a migraine trigger. On the other hand, migraine may be triggered by caffeine withdrawal (reviewed in [2]). At present, these two apparently opposite effects cannot be directly related to the brain energy balance. Therefore, caffeine, although it may be potentially beneficial for mitochondrial functions, cannot be recommended to ameliorate migraine symptoms, unless it is not withdrawn after a long use.