Vitamin deficiency could be causing migraine attacks, say researchers

A “high percentage” of children and young adults have vitamin deficiencies, and especially of the ones that previous studies have associated with migraine.

Researchers from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital discovered the prevalence of vitamin deficiency when they analysed blood samples from a large group of young migraine sufferers. They especially tested for vitamin D, riboflavin, coenzyme Q10 and folate (B12).

Most had a mild deficiency, and were put on medication and vitamin supplements. However, because they weren’t given supplements alone, the researchers can’t be sure of their effectiveness.

The deficiencies seemed to differentiate between the gender and age of the sufferers: girls and young women were more likely to suffer from a Q10 deficiency, while more of the boys and young men were low in vitamin D, often called the sunshine vitamin because sunlight is its main source.

Chronic sufferers were more often deficient in Q10 and riboflavin.

(Source: Proceedings of the annual scientific meeting of the American Headache Society, San Diego, June 10, 2016)

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