Macronutrient Intake in Relation to Migraine and Non-Migraine Headaches

Abstract

We investigated the association of mean daily macronutrient intake with migraine and non-migraine headaches. This cross-sectional study included 8042 men and 23,728 women from the ongoing population-based NutriNet-Santé e-cohort. Headache status was assessed via an online self-report questionnaire (2013⁻2016). Migraine was defined using established criteria and dietary macronutrient intake was estimated via ≥3 24 h dietary records. Mean daily intake (g/day) of carbohydrates (simple, complex, and total), protein, and fat (saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and total) were the main exposure variables. Adjusted gender-specific analysis of variance (ANOVA) models were fit. Presence of migraines was noted in 9.2% of men (mean age = 54.3 ± 13.3 years) and 25.7% of women (mean age = 49.6 ± 12.8 years). In adjusted models, we observed (1) somewhat lower protein (p < 0.02) and higher total fat (p < 0.01) intake among male migraineurs compared with males without headaches and those with non-migraine headaches; (2) somewhat higher total fat (p < 0.0001) and total carbohydrate intake (p < 0.05) among female migraineurs compared with females without headaches and those with non-migraine headaches. The findings, which provide preliminary support for modest gender-specific differences in macronutrient intake by migraine status, merit confirmation in different population-based settings, as well as longitudinally, and could help to inform future dietary interventions in headache prevention.

Keywords: dietary intake; epidemiology; headache; macronutrients; migraine.

Figure 1

Participant selection flowchart.