Beef as a Migraine Trigger

Beef as a migraine trigger? Well that was a new one on me. But who am I to argue after it was included in the top ten foods identified as migraine triggers in the Lancet study of 1979(1)?

Still, research is far behind the curve when it comes to beef allergy, despite the fact that some researchers believe that many children allergic to milk are also allergic to beef. If a child is known to have a milk allergy it's sensible to ensure they only eat well cooked beef as sensitivity increases if the meat isn't well cooked(1).

You should not confuse bovine protein allergies (such as milk and beef) with lactose intolerance, which is more common. Lack of the enzyme lactase can cause problems breaking down the milk proteins, but true milk and beef allergies are more severe and can cause reactions other than stomach upset and gas. These reactions can include migraines, and even the risk of anaphylactic shock.

Although there are no formal studies to connect beef allergies to migraine, there is plenty of research that connects beef and milk allergies - and a common allergic reaction to milk is migraine.

A study conducted among children looked for the correlation between beef and milk allergies. The 28 children tested all had beef allergy, and of these, 26 tested positive for milk allergy as well. The two that were not allergic to milk did not show sensitivity to bovine serum albumin, but all 26 who were allergic to both milk and beef did have a sensitivity.

This led the researchers to conclude that if a child with beef allergy showed sensitivity to bovine serum albumin, milk should be removed from the diet as well. Most of the children tested had skin conditions caused by their allergies(3).

Bovine proteins are definitely connected, and many patients who were previously diagnosed as allergic to cows' milk are now finding added relief from refraining from beef products as well. Most children grow out of milk allergy at a fairly youthful age, but the research on beef is still scanty.

In an interesting twist, a study was conducted that showed patients allergic to cats were also found to have beef, pork or milk allergies - in every single cat sensitive patient! Anyone who is allergies to cats should be checked for reactions to milk, beef and even pork(4).

I don't know of any research into whether cats can cause migraine! But as a joke, I typed "do cats cause migraine" into Google, and sure enough found a "cat forum" where someone had a relation who developed headaches when spending long periods of time close to cats. All that proves is if you find that avoiding anything prevents your migraines - avoid it!

Research by Grace Alexander.

References:

(1) Food, Allergies and Migraine. Grant ECG, Lancet, May 5, 1979;966-969. 37344

(2) Werfel SJ, Cooke SK, Sampson HA. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002

(3) Martelli, A, A. De Chiara et al (2002). Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002

(4) Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery , Volume 133 , Issue 4 , Pages 534 - 537 B . Mamikoglu