Migraine and Homocysteine
Homocysteine is a harmful amino acid which is rendered harmless by B vitamins – read on for more details and the link with migraine.
I am indebted to Patrick Holford for permission to reproduce his article below, previously published on his website.
Nutritionist Patrick Holford
One in ten people suffer from migraines, and many more from headaches.
Your chances of suffering are higher if you have a high homocysteine level, or are born with the genes that make you more likely to have high homocysteine. The gene in question affects an enzyme called MTHFR. These people need more B vitamins than others.
For this reason scientists from the Genomics Research Centre (GRC) at Griffith University in Brisbane decided to investigate the impact of giving migraine sufferers supplements of homocysteine lowering B vitamins (B6, B12 and folic acid).
They recruited 52 people diagnosed with migraine. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin supplements providing a daily dose of 2mg of folic acid, 25mg vitamin B6, and 400 micrograms of B12, or placebo, for six months. These levels are at least 10 times RDA levels.
Results showed a reduction in homocysteine levels by 39 per cent, compared to baseline, and statistically significant compared to placebo. Furthermore, the supplements were associated with a reduction in the prevalence of migraine disability from 60 per cent at the start of the study to 30 per cent after 6 months. No reduction was observed in the placebo group, said the researchers.
Previous research had shown that vitamin B2, another important factor for healthy methylation, also reduces migraines. So, if you suffer from migraines it’s well worth your while knowing your homocysteine level, which can be tested on a home test kit, and possibly taking a supplement containing all the key nutrients for methylation (B2, B6, folic acid, B12, TMG and zinc).
Patrick Holford is one of the UK’s leading nutritionists, and I am proud to have numbered him amongst my lecturers while training. Please visit his website for more information.
I’d like to point out that there’s a problem with the first reference.
Thanks for pointing that out. It appears from your website that the correct paper is from Prof Lea of Griffith University. It is now in press (at the time of writing) at Pharmacogenetics and Genomics (unclear as to intended publication date).