The short version
• Migraine is a neurological condition, not just a bad headache. Around 10 million people in the UK live with it, and women are two to three times more likely to have it than men (The Migraine Trust, April 2026).
• Common triggers listed by the NHS include having your period, stress and tiredness, skipping meals and too much caffeine (NHS, Migraine).
• The evidence that individual foods cause migraine attacks is weaker than many people assume. Craving foods such as chocolate can be an early sign that an attack has already started (The Migraine Trust, Chocolate and migraine).
• The NHS recommends eating at regular times, staying hydrated, limiting caffeine and alcohol, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly (NHS, Symptoms of migraine).
• NICE says riboflavin (vitamin B2) at 400 mg once a day may reduce migraine frequency and intensity for some people (NICE guideline CG150). That is a medical-level dose, far above everyday nutritional amounts, so discuss it with your GP or pharmacist first.
• Magnesium and coenzyme Q10 have both been studied in migraine, but the results are mixed and neither currently appears in NICE guidance (Okoli et al., Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 2019).
• A headache diary kept for at least eight weeks is one of the most useful ways to spot your own patterns (NICE guideline CG150).
• Taking painkillers on more than two days a week can cause more headaches and make migraine harder to treat (NHS, Symptoms of migraine).
• Food supplements are not a treatment for migraine. Magnesium and riboflavin both contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system as part of a balanced diet (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register).
Ask anyone who lives with migraine and they will tell you it is not just a headache. An attack usually lasts between 4 hours and 3 days, and early symptoms such as tiredness, yawning, food cravings or thirst can begin hours, or up to two days, before any head pain starts (NHS, Migraine). Around 10 million people in the UK live with migraine. The lifetime prevalence is reported as 33% in women and 13% in men, yet many women say their migraine has been brushed off as "just hormones" or "everyday stress" (The Migraine Trust, April 2026).
Food is often the first place people look for answers, and the advice online can be long, contradictory and restrictive. Cut out cheese. Cut out chocolate. Cut out wine, coffee, cured meat and anything fermented. Some of that advice holds up. A lot of it is based on weaker evidence than the confident lists suggest.
So, this piece looks at what the evidence says about migraine and diet. We cover common triggers, why regular meals and fluids matter, how hormones are involved, what NICE says about riboflavin, what the research on magnesium and coenzyme Q10 actually shows, and when to speak to your GP. Food supplements cannot treat migraine, and we are clear throughout about where nutrition fits and where it does not.
What is a migraine?
Migraine is a condition that causes a set of symptoms known as a migraine attack. The main symptom is usually a throbbing headache, often on one side of the head, that can be severe and gets worse when you move around. Many people also feel or are sick, and become very sensitive to light and sound (NHS, Symptoms of migraine).
Some people get warning signs called aura before the headache, such as zigzag lines or flashing lights, numbness or tingling, dizziness or difficulty speaking. Aura can also happen with no headache at all, sometimes called silent migraine (NHS, Migraine). It is not known exactly what causes migraine, but it involves changes to nerves and blood vessels in the brain, and you are more likely to have it if a close family member does (NHS, Migraine).
What triggers a migraine attack?
Not every attack has an obvious trigger, but some people find certain things make an attack more likely. The NHS lists having your period, anxiety and depression, stress and tiredness, skipping meals or not eating regularly, and too much caffeine (NHS, Migraine). Not getting enough regular exercise is on the list too.
Are certain foods migraine triggers?
Aged cheese, chocolate, red wine, cured meats and artificial sweeteners all appear regularly on migraine food lists. The evidence behind many of them is thinner than it looks. A 2020 review of the research on chocolate concluded there is not enough evidence to confirm it as a trigger, and that people with migraine should not be advised to avoid it. Many earlier studies asked people to recall their triggers after an attack and pick from a set list, which may simply reflect common beliefs (The Migraine Trust, Chocolate and migraine).
There is a second complication. In the earliest stage of an attack, the premonitory stage, some people crave particular foods. If you eat the chocolate you are craving and a migraine follows, it is easy to blame the chocolate when the attack had already begun (The Migraine Trust, Chocolate and migraine). Researchers who tracked what people with migraine ate over two months found that eating a food before an attack often reflected how often they ate it anyway, and warned against mistaking association for cause (Lisicki and Schoenen, Frontiers in Neurology, 2021).
None of this means food never matters. Some people do have genuine dietary triggers. It does mean a long list of banned foods is rarely the best starting point. Cutting out food groups without good reason can make your diet less varied, and you may still get the same number of attacks.
How to find your own triggers
A headache diary is the practical alternative. NICE suggests recording, for a minimum of eight weeks, how often your headaches happen, how long they last and how severe they are, along with any medicines you take for them, possible triggers and how your headaches relate to your menstrual cycle (NICE guideline CG150). If one food or drink keeps appearing before your attacks, take that pattern to your GP, a registered dietitian or a qualified nutrition practitioner before cutting anything out for good.
Why regular meals and fluids matter
Skipping meals and not eating regularly are among the most commonly reported triggers (NHS, Migraine). The NHS advice for reducing migraine is refreshingly practical: eat meals at regular times, stay well hydrated, limit how much caffeine and alcohol you drink, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, try to manage stress and keep to a healthy weight (NHS, Symptoms of migraine). For a lot of people, a steady routine of meals, water and sleep does more than any single food rule.
How do hormones affect migraine?
Before puberty, migraine affects boys and girls equally. Afterwards, the picture changes. Migraine in women often gets worse around menstruation and has strong links to contraception, pregnancy, the postpartum period and menopause (The Migraine Trust, April 2026).
Migraine attacks that happen just before or during your period are called menstrual migraines, and they are often longer and more severe than attacks at other times (NHS, Migraine). The NHS advises seeing a GP if you regularly get migraine before or during your period. In women, migraine often improves after the menopause and sometimes during pregnancy (NHS, Symptoms of migraine). If you notice a hormonal pattern in your diary, that is useful information to share with your GP, because it can change which treatment options make sense for you.
What does the evidence say about riboflavin (vitamin B2) for migraine?
Riboflavin is the one nutrient that appears in UK clinical guidance on migraine. NICE advises that riboflavin at 400 mg once a day may be effective in reducing migraine frequency and intensity for some people (NICE guideline CG150), and the NHS includes vitamin B2 among the options for preventing migraine attacks (NHS, Treatment for migraine).
The evidence is promising but not uniform. In one trial of 55 people, 56% of those taking 400 mg of riboflavin a day had at least a 50% reduction in attack frequency, compared with 19% on placebo. An evidence review for family doctors also noted that most trials of riboflavin found no reduction in migraine frequency, and that placebo responses in these studies are often high (College of Family Physicians of Canada, Tools for Practice #193).
Context matters here. The Nutrient Reference Value for riboflavin is 1.4 mg a day, so 400 mg is more than 280 times that amount. Everyday intakes come from foods such as milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, mushrooms and plain yoghurt (NHS, B vitamins and folic acid), and a dose of 400 mg can only realistically come from a supplement. Reported side effects include diarrhoea and bright yellow urine (College of Family Physicians of Canada, Tools for Practice #193). NHS prescribing guidance also advises avoiding high-dose riboflavin if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy (Lancashire and South Cumbria Medicines Management Group, headache guideline, 2024). So if you are considering it, talk to your GP or pharmacist first, particularly if you already take a preventive medicine.
Does magnesium help with migraine? And what about coenzyme Q10?
Magnesium is one of the most searched-for nutrients in connection with migraine, and it does have an important everyday role: magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register). Whether magnesium supplements make a difference to migraine specifically is less clear. A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that, on the evidence available, it is unknown whether magnesium or coenzyme Q10 is effective for preventing migraine in adults, and called for larger, higher-quality trials (Okoli et al., Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 2019).
Coenzyme Q10 is a compound involved in energy production inside your cells. A 2021 meta-analysis of six trials, including 371 people, found that it was associated with fewer and shorter migraine attacks, but not less severe ones (Sazali et al., BMJ Open, 2021). Coenzyme Q10 has no authorised health claims in Great Britain, and neither magnesium nor coenzyme Q10 currently appears in NICE migraine guidance (NICE guideline CG150).
Our honest summary: this is an area of active research rather than settled advice. If you would like to explore either, a GP, pharmacist or qualified practitioner can help you weigh it up alongside any treatment you already use.
Which nutrients support your nervous system day to day?
Away from migraine-specific guidance, several nutrients have authorised roles in the normal functioning of your nervous system. These are not treatments for migraine, and they do not replace a balanced diet or medical care, but they are part of the nutritional foundation everyone needs.
• Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system, to normal psychological function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register). Our Magnesium Bisglycinate bonds magnesium to two molecules of the amino acid glycine, one of several forms of magnesium we make, each suited to different needs.
• Riboflavin (vitamin B2) contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register). Our Riboflavin 5-Phosphate provides riboflavin in its active coenzyme form at a nutritional amount.
• Thiamin (vitamin B1) contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, the normal functioning of the nervous system and normal psychological function (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register). Thiamin is also included in our B Complex Liquid.
• Vitamins B6 and B12 each contribute to the normal functioning of the nervous system and to normal psychological function (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register). Both are included in our B Complex Liquid.
When should you see a GP about migraine?
See a GP if your migraine attacks are severe, getting worse or lasting longer than usual, if you have attacks more than once a week, if you are finding your migraine difficult to control, or if you regularly get migraine before or during your period (NHS, Symptoms of migraine).
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 if an attack has lasted longer than 72 hours, if aura symptoms last longer than an hour at a time, or if you are pregnant or have just had a baby (NHS, Migraine).
Call 999 if you or your child have a headache that came on suddenly and is extremely painful, problems speaking or remembering things, loss of vision or blurred or double vision, drowsiness or confusion, a seizure, a very high temperature with symptoms of meningitis, weakness in the arms, legs or face on one side of the body, or a recent head injury (NHS, Migraine).
One more point that often surprises people: taking painkillers for more than two days a week can cause more headaches and make migraine harder to treat (NHS, Symptoms of migraine). If you find yourself reaching for them that often, it is worth a conversation with your GP.
Can you take supplements alongside migraine medication?
Food supplements are not medicines. They cannot treat or prevent migraine, and they should never replace the treatment plan you have agreed with your GP or specialist. If you take a preventive migraine medicine, any other regular medication, or you are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy, speak to your GP, pharmacist or practitioner before adding a new supplement. That includes high-dose riboflavin: The Migraine Trust advises checking with your doctor or pharmacist what dose is safe for you in pregnancy (The Migraine Trust, Supplements for migraine).
Common questions
Can diet cause migraine?
Migraine is a neurological condition with no known single cause, and it often runs in families (NHS, Migraine). What and when you eat can influence attacks, though: skipping meals, not eating regularly and too much caffeine are among the triggers the NHS lists (NHS, Migraine).
Which foods trigger migraines?
There is no single list that applies to everyone. Cheese, chocolate, red wine and cured meats are often blamed, but the evidence for many food triggers is limited, and food cravings can be an early symptom of an attack rather than its cause (The Migraine Trust, Chocolate and migraine). A headache diary is the most reliable way to find your own triggers (NICE guideline CG150).
Is chocolate a migraine trigger?
A 2020 review found there was not enough evidence to confirm chocolate as a migraine trigger, and concluded that people with migraine should not be advised to avoid it (The Migraine Trust, Chocolate and migraine).
Does vitamin B2 help migraine?
NICE advises that riboflavin (vitamin B2) at 400 mg once a day may be effective in reducing migraine frequency and intensity for some people (NICE guideline CG150). This is a high, medical-level dose, so speak to your GP or pharmacist before trying it, and check what dose is right for you if you are pregnant (The Migraine Trust, Supplements for migraine).
Does magnesium help migraines?
Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system (GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register), but the evidence on magnesium supplements and migraine is mixed. A 2019 meta-analysis found it is not yet known whether magnesium is effective for preventing migraine in adults (Okoli et al., Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 2019).
How long should I keep a migraine diary?
NICE suggests at least eight weeks, recording how often headaches happen, how long they last, how severe they are, any medicines you take, possible triggers and any link to your menstrual cycle (NICE guideline CG150).
Are supplements a treatment for migraine?
No. Food supplements are not medicines and should not be used to treat or prevent migraine. If you have migraine, speak to your GP about treatment options, which the NHS says may include medicines, acupuncture, relaxation techniques and vitamin B2 (NHS, Treatment for migraine).
The bottom line
Migraine is a common, often disabling neurological condition, and it deserves to be taken seriously. Nutrition has a real but specific role. Regular meals, good hydration, moderate caffeine and alcohol, and enough sleep are the foundations the NHS recommends. A diary will tell you more about your own triggers than any generic list of foods to avoid. Riboflavin at 400 mg a day is the one nutrient with NICE support, and it is a conversation to have with your GP or pharmacist rather than a decision to make alone. The evidence on magnesium and coenzyme Q10 is still developing.
Day to day, nutrients such as magnesium, riboflavin, thiamin and vitamins B6 and B12 contribute to the normal functioning of your nervous system as part of a varied, balanced diet. Whatever you choose, choose it with the full picture, and keep your GP involved in how you manage your migraine.
Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult your healthcare practitioner before use.
