Dieting has become a common lifestyle practice that everyone follows these days. Starting from a calorie-restricted to a high-fat diet, there are so many possible diet forms you can choose from. Did you know that one of the side effects of crash diets is a migraine? Many people, unaware of this relation, often ask the question, “how can dieting cause migraines?” And here is how it happens.

Fasting-related Migraines
The concept of intermittent fasting is quite common in the dieting industry. This requires people to eat in a small window of time and fast for an extended period. Can dieting cause migraines? Yes. If you fast for a longer time, your body releases stress-hormones to combat the lack of glucose and this causes migraines.

Migraines due to Hypoglycemia
Another of the most common answers to can dieting cause migraines is hypoglycemia. It is a condition where a person’s blood glucose levels fall really low. This is a very common reason why people end up with extreme headaches. You can also experience hypoglycemia if you keep skipping meals or if you deprive your body of the needed calories. Therefore, you need to be careful about extreme strict diets.

Having Artificial Sweeteners
Most diet forms do not allow people to consume any form of sugar. This is why most dieters opt for artificial sweeteners. Many studies prove consuming artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, can trigger migraine attacks.

Migraines Due to Dehydration
Some diets completely shift your body from its regular food habits and this can lead to dehydration. Dehydrates definitely results in intensive headaches and migraines. When you are on any diet, make it a habit to drink a lot of water.

Caffeine and Migraines are Definitely Linked
Can dieting cause migraines? Yes, it can, especially if you are a person who is used to drinking multiple cups of coffee a day, and suddenly, refrains from caffeine. If a person who is used to drinking coffee regularly, completely abstains from it can result in instant triggers of migraines. Instead, you can slowly reduce the quantity of coffee you drink.

Abstaining from All Carbohydrates
The Low Carbohydrate High Fat diet is very popular right now. When you suddenly abstain from carbohydrates and keep gorging on fat, your body will be deprived of the essential nutrients it was getting before. This and the reduction in sodium content because of diet change can both trigger extreme cases of migraines. Before you start an extremely rigorous diet, analyze its pros and cons, and talk to your doctor.

There are a lot of foods that can trigger migraines in people, and all kinds of sudden food changes can cause headaches. Keep diet in check and be quick to identify what change triggered the migraine. This will prevent the recurrence of the episode.