12 Foods to Help Get Rid of a Headache or Migraine Attack Naturally

Many people with migraine experience gastrointestinal symptoms, including constipation. “Dehydration can contribute to headaches and constipation,” says Brown.

Plain yogurt is a probiotic food that can address both issues by promoting gut health and as a source of hydration, she says.

Brown suggests choosing almond or cashew yogurt. “For some people, dairy products can intensify sinus pressure and headaches,” she says.

Changes in hormone levels can lead to headaches, especially for women with menstrual migraine or headaches, says Brown. Falling levels of estrogen, which occur just before menstruation begins, can trigger an attack, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.

Women who have this type of migraine would benefit from increasing their intake of cruciferous vegetables, because of their effects on estrogen, Brown says.

Cruciferous vegetables contain hormonally active compounds called phytoestrogens, which can have estrogenic, or estrogen-like, effects in humans — or, conversely, antiestrogenic effects. It’s thought that the antiestrogenic effects of some phytoestrogens may lower a woman’s risk of certain types of cancer by lowering her exposure to her own estrogen.

Some research indicates phytoestrogens improve bone mineral density and markers of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women — effects that estrogen would be expected to have in premenopausal women.

There’s also some evidence that phytoestrogens help to prevent menstrual migraine attacks in premenopausal women.

“Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy — those can all be very helpful if you include more of them in your diet,” says Brown.