Should You Be Drinking Salt Water for Migraine?
What is with this salty social media migraine tip? Some suggest drinking salt water daily for migraine prevention. Others say to take the salty concoction to stop an incoming migraine in its path.
What is the truth to any of this? Our experts uncover.
The relationship between salt (sodium) and migraine isn’t straightforward. Researchers and doctors are still working to understand how salt intake may influence migraine.
Here’s what we know about whether drinking salt water can help migraine, whether too much or too little salt can trigger migraine, plus some tips for adapting your diet to your needs.
Can drinking salt water help migraine?
It depends.
Too much salt
Some research suggests that too much salt could play a role in headaches and migraine.
A 2021 study explored sodium and migraine and excluded people with high blood pressure. It found that higher sodium levels in urine were associated with longer and more severe migraine attacks — meaning eating more salt may worsen attacks.
In a 2016 analysis of a study on people with high blood pressure, for example, those with low salt intake had fewer headaches.
Plus, eating less salt lowers blood pressure. This could have contributed to the lower headache rate among the low sodium participants, since high blood pressure may be related to headaches and migraines.
While more research is needed to understand the impact of sodium as compared to other minerals and chemicals, migraine sensitivity to salty foods may not be out of the question.
Too little salt
On the flip side, other research suggests that too little salt may have something to do with headaches and migraine.
A 2016 study of over 8,800 adults found that people who ate less salt had higher rates of migraine than those who ate more salt. But the correlation could be straightforward: as a preventive measure, people with migraine may limit how much salty food they eat.
Many people with migraine have food triggers, and some of those triggers (like cheese, processed meats, and fermented foods) also have high sodium levels.
A 2021 study suggests that migraine could be a symptom of salt withdrawal. If your diet is high in sodium (like the average American diet) and you suddenly eat less salt, the abrupt change could trigger migraine.
This could also partly explain why some people crave salt right before or during a migraine attack. Your body could be telling you that you need more salt. In turn, as the study reports, eating salty foods may sometimes help relieve migraine symptoms.
More research into a potential low sodium, high migraine relationship is needed.
Sodium, dehydration, and migraine
Dehydration could also play a role in the relationship between salt and migraine — related to both too little and too much salt.
Sodium is an electrolyte that helps regulate the amount of water in your body. You may become dehydrated when sodium levels are too high (called hypernatremia) and when sodium levels are too low (called hyponatremia).
Whether low or high sodium is the culprit, dehydration can trigger migraine.
Drinking water or sports drinks can help replenish sodium and other electrolytes, hydrate your body, and prevent migraine.
How to adapt your diet to your needs
Since the relationship between salt and migraine isn’t straightforward, it’s unclear whether eating less salt is an effective measure for migraine prevention.
Some research holds that low sodium diets may help reduce migraine frequency and severity. Other research reports that eating less salt may not have any impact on headaches.
Again, more studies are needed to better understand the relationship between how much salt you eat and migraine.
In the meantime, how do you know how much salt is right for your needs?
You can try changing your diet. Keeping track of how these changes impact migraine frequency, severity, and symptoms will help you understand your migraine triggers and adapt your sodium intake.
Missed meals may also trigger Migraines, and mistaking salt (in meal) to curing your migraines may also be a possibility.
It’s important to identify your trigger of migraine and consult with a nutrition expert as you build your unique migraine-supportive diet. That way, you can be sure that your diet is safe for your body and lifestyle.
Takeaway
The relationship between salt and migraine isn’t that clear-cut. Some research links high sodium to migraine, while other findings suggest low sodium may be related.
More research is needed to understand how salt influences migraine — and the implications for how much salt you should eat.
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Medical Review: This article is written by Dr Nishtha Mittal (Senior Health Content Editor at Zanskar Health) and has been medically reviewed by the medical team at Zanskar Health. This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.
