The Calibration of Essential Vitamin to Aid with Migraine Issues in Personalized Vitamin Formulations

We are big believers in magnesium for its role in migraine prevention, but consumers are not always the best self-prescribers when it comes to determining their needs in the vitamin aisles or online marketplaces. A personalized vitamin quiz is an essential tool to determine magnesium needs as it relates to migraines and other issues. Magnesium is a vital electrolyte that we get from many natural foods (namely, low levels are found in nuts, beans, spinach, and a variety of grains). Cells and systems all over our body need it to function properly (including those blood vessels in your brain). Our kidneys regulate magnesium, potassium, and other electrolytes in a complicated balance. Many of us walk around with suboptimal blood levels of magnesium, in part because most food sources contain very low levels of the vitamin. Also, we continually lose magnesium through many normal body functions and even through exercise (via muscle use and sweat). 

While there is certainly still more to learn about the role of electrolytes in migraine treatments, new data suggests that replacing magnesium may help prevent and treat migraines. We can assume this is true because of this essential nutrient’s role in making blood vessels function optimally, but the exact science is not yet fully understood. No matter the precise reason magnesium helps, it does in fact help. Several large studies have shown it reduces the frequency of migraines in those who get them. For this reason it is probably a helpful electrolyte to take.

A typical dose for migraine prevention is 300 or 400 mg daily. Most of our patients tolerate this dose well without any side effects. However, higher doses of magnesium are known to cause GI side effects such as cramping and diarrhea. If you stick to this dose, most people are fine. Another thing to be aware of is that your kidneys can only handle so much of this stuff, and if you have kidney disease you should for sure limit your intake. However, if you are an otherwise healthy person, magnesium supplementation, when taken in safe doses, may be a great step in helping you kiss those migraines goodbye.

Another vitamin that has come into favor since 2010 for migraine prevention is vitamin B2 or riboflavin. This vitamin is found in small amounts in natural foods such as meat, cheese, eggs, and nuts. However, those who suffer from migraines may benefit from supplementation. A dose of 400 mg daily of B2 has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraines. The role of other B vitamins in migraine prevention and treatment is less established. It is known that vitamin B12 plays a role in many neurological issues, but it has not been definitively shown that taking it prevents or treats migraines.

Vitamin D has been researched for migraine prevention. However, the data thus far is not compelling for migraines, though it may be useful for preventing other types of headaches (such as tension headaches, which are dull headaches without associated symptoms, typically occurring at the end of the day). Nonetheless, we are big fans of vitamin D for its many other proven benefits. 

CoQ10 is another vitamin that has been suggested to be helpful for migraine sufferers. A few studies have shown that it may be effective in migraine prevention at doses of up to 100 mg three times daily.

The potential side effects are unknown. As of now, we believe CoQ10 is an intriguing possible prevention for migraine, but the data is less proven than that of other vitamins. Therefore, it should be used only after other options have failed.

A course of action to determine the composition and dosing of a personalized vitamin is to find a company that you can trust – with reputable physicians involved as well as good manufacturing practices – and go through their assessment process. This personalized vitamin assessment will give you an indication of what formula could assist with your migraine issues.