By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS

Migraine headaches are a dysfunction of the nerves and blood vessels in the brain and are characterized by nausea and vomiting, pain with exposure to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia) and severe recurrent headache (1). The International Headache Society has divided migraines into 2 types - migraine without aura (75% of sufferers) and migraine with aura (25% of sufferers) (1).  Migraine headaches affect 12% of Americans and cost our healthcare system $24 billion each year (2)

The exact cause of migraines are not known but natural ways to help treat migraine headaches include 150 mg of Coenzyme Q10 per day (3), 150 mg of butterbur root extract per day (4), and 2 mg of folic acid per day (5).  Now a new review of magnesium (6), which is the fourth most abundant essential mineral in the body (7) and takes part in more than 300 reactions in the body (8), may also be a very effective treatment for migraine headaches.  

The RDI for magnesium ranges from 80 mg per day in infants to 420 mg per day in men (7) and food sources include green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains.  Despite its availability in the food supply, it is suggested that 75% of Americans are deficient in magnesium (9).

In the review, the researchers suggest a potential role of magnesium in migraines, with 1 study showing 45% of all menstrual migraine episodes to occur when patients had low levels of ionized magnesium (< 0.54 mmol/L) (10).  Another double-blind randomized study showed 600 mg per day of oral trimagnesium dicitrate “significantly reduced” the frequency of migraine compared with placebo.  Specifically, by the end of 12 weeks there was a 263% greater reduction in migraine attack frequency in the magnesium group compared to placebo (41.6% reduction in magnesium vs. 15.8% reduction in control group) (11).

For the researchers, “Magnesium is an essential mineral with evidence of effectiveness in treating…migraine.”

References:
1.Headache Classification Committee of The International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders (2nd edition). Cephalalgia 2004; 24 (Suppl 1):1–160
2.“New Data Estimate Migraine Headaches Cost U.S. Employers more than $24 Billion Annually” posted on  http://home.thomsonhealthcare.com/News/view/index.aspx?id=545
3.Rozen, T. D., M. L. Oshinsky, et al. (2002). "Open label trial of coenzyme Q10 as a migraine preventive." Cephalalgia 22(2): 137-41
4.Pothmann, R. Migraine Prevention in Children and Adolescents: Results of an Open Study With a Special Butterbur Root Extract. Headache 2005; 45(3): 196-203
5.Rod L. The effects of vitamin supplementation and MTHFR (C677T) genotype on homocysteine-lowering and migraine disability.  Pharmacogenet Genomics 2009 Jun;19(6):422-8
6.Guerrera MP.  Therapeutic Uses of Magnesium.  Am Fam Physician. 2009;80(2):157-162.
7.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp
8.Elin RJ. Magnesium: the fifth but forgotten electrolyte. Am J Clin Pathol. 1994;102(5):616-622.
9.Alaimo K, McDowell MA, Briefel RR, et al. Dietary intake of vitamins, minerals, and fiber of person ages 2 months and over in the United States: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Phase 1, 1988-91. Adv Data. 1994;(258):1-28.
10.Mauskop A, Altura BT, Altura BM. Serum ionized magnesium levels and serum ionized calcium/ionized magnesium ratios in women with menstrual migraine. Headache. 2002;42(4):242-248.
11.Peikert A, Wilimzig C, Köhne-Volland R. Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study. Cephalalgia. 1996;16(4):257-263.