The Association of Dietary Phytochemical Index and Migraine Headaches

Background: Migraine is a neurological disorder which can threaten public health and cause socio-economic burdens. Dietary factors are proposed to be associated with migraine pain. The aim of this study was to examine the association between Dietary Phytochemical Index (DPI) and headache severity and duration among migraine patients. Methods: A sample of two hundred and sixty-six women (18-50 years) took part in the study. Dietary data was collected using a validated and reliable food-frequency questionnaire. DPI was estimated by a formula (Daily energy derived from phytochemical-rich foods (kcal)/total daily energy intake (kcal)×100), based on dietary intake. Anthropometric measurements, headache duration, and visual analog scale for pain questionnaire were assessed for all cases. Results: An inverse association was found between high-DPI score and severe headaches (OR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.98; p=0.011). However, headache duration showed no significant association with DPI score (β= -0.10, 95% CI: -0.51, 0.27, p=0.25). Conclusion: The present study showed that adherence to phytochemical-rich diets may be associated with reduced headache in migraine patients.