Foods to Avoid for Headaches: 8 Possible Triggers

Alcohol, aged cheese, and processed meats are common foods and drinks to consider limiting if they consistently precede your headaches. They are possible triggers, not a proven list of foods everyone with headaches should avoid.

Much of the research concerns migraine, a particular type of headache, rather than every cause of headaches. For hydration information, see the best drinks for headaches.

Start by keeping a headache and food diary, recording what and when you eat and when headaches occur. You can use the hydration checker alongside it to consider whether your fluid intake may also be relevant.

Which 8 foods and drinks are possible headache triggers?

There is no reliable ranking of food triggers that applies to everyone. A 2020 systematic review of diet and migraine found that much of the evidence on dietary triggers came from surveys and other observational studies, which cannot reliably show that a food caused an attack.

1. Alcohol

Wine, beer, and other alcoholic drinks are reported triggers for some people with migraine. Alcohol’s effects on blood vessels and hydration are possible contributors, but the mechanism is not fully understood and may differ between people.

If headaches repeatedly follow alcohol, try avoiding the particular drink involved or avoiding alcohol altogether. There is no established headache-safe amount that applies to everyone, and you do not need to drink alcohol to test whether it is a trigger.

Evidence: Alcohol is commonly discussed as a possible migraine trigger, but responses vary. A 2025 review of dietary patterns and migraine notes that more research is needed to establish causality.

2. Aged cheese

Aged cheeses, such as mature cheddar and blue cheese, can contain tyramine, a substance formed as protein breaks down during aging. Tyramine has been proposed as a migraine trigger, although how it might contribute to an attack is uncertain.

If aged cheese appears in your diary before several headaches, try choosing a fresh cheese instead and see whether the pattern changes. There is no proven amount of aged cheese that everyone with headaches should avoid, and you do not necessarily need to remove all dairy foods.

Evidence: Tyramine-containing foods are reported triggers for some people, but the evidence does not support a universal ban on cheese.

3. Processed meats

Some processed meats, including certain hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats, contain added nitrates or nitrites. These compounds can contribute to the formation of nitric oxide, which affects blood vessels and is one proposed pathway in migraine; that does not prove a particular serving caused a headache.

Check ingredient labels if these foods repeatedly appear before your headaches. You might compare your usual processed meat with an unprocessed option, rather than eliminating every food that naturally contains nitrate.

Evidence: Nitrates are discussed as potential migraine triggers in dietary reviews, but individual responses and the amount involved are not well established.

4. Caffeine-containing foods and drinks

Coffee, tea, energy drinks, and some other products contain caffeine. Caffeine can have different effects on headaches: changes in intake can be relevant, and withdrawal after regular use can itself cause a headache.

Look for changes in your usual caffeine routine, including days when you have substantially more or less than usual. If you decide to reduce caffeine, do so gradually rather than stopping abruptly. There is no single caffeine amount shown to prevent headaches in everyone.

Evidence: Caffeine is a recognized consideration in migraine, but it is not a universal dietary trigger. The 2025 review describes its effects in the context of individual susceptibility.

5. Chocolate

Chocolate contains several substances that have been proposed as migraine triggers, including caffeine, but none explains a headache after chocolate in every person. Another possibility is that a craving for chocolate occurs during the early phase of a migraine, before the headache begins.

Record when you ate chocolate and whether you had already noticed symptoms or a craving. If a consistent pattern emerges, try reducing your usual portion or temporarily avoiding chocolate; there is no established trigger amount.

Evidence: Chocolate is often reported as a trigger, but reports alone cannot distinguish cause from an early migraine craving. The evidence is not strong enough to recommend that everyone with headaches avoid it.

6. Foods with added MSG

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavor enhancer found in some packaged foods, seasonings, and restaurant meals. Glutamate signaling has been proposed as a possible mechanism for migraine, but a causal link between normal food intake of MSG and headaches is not firmly established.

If you suspect a particular food, check its ingredient label and record what else you ate with it. You can try a comparable food without added MSG instead; there is no established amount that reliably triggers headaches in everyone. Avoid attributing a headache to an entire cuisine based on one meal.

Evidence: Research on MSG and migraine is inconsistent, and it does not justify a blanket restriction. A 2020 review of migraine and diet emphasizes the lack of consensus on dietary recommendations.

7. Foods and drinks containing artificial sweeteners

Some people report headaches after products containing artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame. A biological explanation has been proposed, but the mechanism and whether these ingredients cause headaches under ordinary conditions remain uncertain.

If a particular sugar-free product seems linked to your headaches, check its label and try a similar product without that sweetener. Pay attention to other differences, such as caffeine content, rather than assuming the sweetener is responsible. There is no established headache-triggering amount for everyone.

Evidence: The evidence is limited and does not support a recommendation that everyone with headaches avoid artificial sweeteners.

8. Fermented foods and condiments

Some fermented foods and condiments, such as fermented vegetables and soy sauce, can contain tyramine or other compounds formed during fermentation. These have been proposed as migraine triggers, but the role of any individual compound is uncertain.

If a specific fermented product repeatedly precedes your headaches, consider using a nonfermented alternative while you track the pattern. You do not need to avoid all fermented foods, and there is no established amount that predicts an attack.

Evidence: The suggestion is based largely on reported associations and proposed mechanisms, not strong proof that fermented foods cause headaches in most people.

What should you eat instead of suspected triggers?

Choose regular, balanced meals using foods you tolerate. Missing or delaying meals may matter for some people with headaches, so replacing a suspected trigger with nothing is not necessarily helpful.

Make substitutions that preserve variety: for example, choose fresh cheese instead of aged cheese, or unprocessed meat instead of a processed product. Unless you have another medical reason to restrict a food group, there is no need to cut out foods simply because they appear on a trigger list.

How can you decide which foods to limit?

Record what and when you eat, when headaches start, and whether you had early symptoms before eating. Note sleep changes, stress, menstrual timing if relevant, and changes in caffeine or hydration. Also record days without headaches; a food eaten often without a headache is less convincing as a trigger.

Look for a repeated pattern rather than blaming a food after one attack. If you suspect one item, you can try limiting it while keeping the rest of your routine as consistent as practical. If appropriate, reintroduce a usual portion and continue recording what happens. Do not reintroduce a food that has caused symptoms of an allergic reaction, and do not use alcohol as a test.

A headache may occur for several reasons at once, so a diary can suggest a pattern without proving cause and effect. A 2024 review of dietary treatment for migraine found that evidence for particular diets and foods remains limited. If several foods seem involved, a registered dietitian or clinician can help you assess them without making your diet unnecessarily restrictive.

Who should be careful, and when should you get medical help?

Talk with a clinician if headaches are new, frequent, worsening, or disrupting daily life, or if you are using headache medicines frequently. Mention any prescription or over-the-counter medicines and supplements you take; do not stop medication because you suspect a food trigger.

Ask for professional guidance before making substantial diet changes during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for a child, or if you have diabetes, a history of an eating disorder, or another condition requiring a restricted diet. If you suspect a problem with gluten, speak with a clinician before removing it, because testing for celiac disease generally requires you to still be eating gluten.

Seek emergency care for a sudden, extremely severe headache, or a headache with weakness, confusion, a stiff neck and fever, or after a head injury. Seek urgent medical assessment for a new severe headache during pregnancy or after giving birth. Breathing trouble or swelling of the face or throat after eating also requires emergency care.