Life Extension Magazine January 2014
Control Underlying Factors Behind Migraines
By Stephen Grant
Migraine headaches are common, affecting 18% of American women and 6% of men.55 They rank near the top of disorders that cause debilitation and loss of work or recreational time.55 And mainstream medicine has yet to find a safe, long-term way to prevent migraines before they begin.56
Two natural substances, gastrodin and magnesium, have shown efficacy in preventing and sometimes treating migraine headaches. Both work to improve brain blood flow, which is decreased at the beginning of a migraine attack.13,24,28,31,37 Both also act in specific (but different) ways to increase brain concentrations of the calming neurotransmitter GABA, while reducing the impact of the excitatory, potentially damaging neurotransmitter glutamate.11,12,14,27,28,35,37
These two natural compounds act in similar ways to the desired effects of the anti-epileptic drugs now in widespread use in migraine treatment, and for good reason.12,14,44 Anti-epileptic drugs lower excitatory glutamate levels while boosting calming GABA levels, similar to gastrodin and magnesium. The downside to these drugs, however, are side effects that decrease their usefulness in the long-term.8-10
If you suffer from migraine headaches, gastrodin formulations and magnesium have been shown to calm the brain, reduce dangerous levels of excitotoxicity, and minimize or eliminate migraine headaches.12,27,28,30,39,40,54-56 This is especially important as we learn how much migraines have in common with debilitating disorders such as strokes and dementia—and how greatly migraines raise your risk for those conditions.1-5,7
If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Health Advisor at 1-866-864-3027.
- Sas K, Pardutz A, Toldi J, Vecsei L. Dementia, stroke and migraine--some common pathological mechanisms. J Neurol Sci. 2010 Dec 15;299(1-2):55-65.
- Eggers AE. New neural theory of migraine. Med Hypotheses. 2001 Mar;56(3):360-3.
- Paemeleire K. Brain lesions and cerebral functional impairment in migraine patients. J Neurol Sci. 2009 Aug 15;283(1-2):134-6.
- Kuo CY, Yen MF, Chen LS, et al. Increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in patients with migraine: a population-based cohort study. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e55253.
- Chuang CS, Lin CL, Lin MC, Sung FC, Kao CH. Migraine and risk of dementia: A nationwide retrospective cohort study. Neuroepidemiology. 2013 Jul 30;41(3-4):139-45.
- Smitherman TA, Burch R, Sheikh H, Loder E. The prevalence, impact, and treatment of migraine and severe headaches in the United States: a review of statistics from national surveillance studies. Headache. 2013 Mar;53(3):427-36.
- Rogawski MA. Common pathophysiologic mechanisms in migraine and epilepsy. Arch Neurol. 2008 Jun;65(6):709-14.
- Kanner AM. Are antiepileptic drugs used in the treatment of migraine associated with an increased risk of suicidality? Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2011 Jun;15(3):164-9.
- Landmark CJ. Targets for antiepileptic drugs in the synapse. Med Sci Monit. 2007 Jan;13(1):RA1-7.
- Reynolds MF, Sisk EC, Rasgon NL. Valproate and neuroendocrine changes in relation to women treated for epilepsy and bipolar disorder: a review. Curr Med Chem. 2007;14(26):2799-812.
- Bie X, Chen Y, Han J, Dai H, Wan H, Zhao T. Effects of gastrodin on amino acids after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat striatum. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:305-8.
- An SJ, Park SK, Hwang IK, et al. Gastrodin decreases immunoreactivities of gamma-aminobutyric acid shunt enzymes in the hippocampus of seizure-sensitive gerbils. J Neurosci Res. 2003 Feb 15;71(4):534-43.
- Jingyi W, Yasuhiro M, Naoya H, et al. Observation on the effects of Chinese medicine zhenxuanyin for improving cerebral blood flow in rats with cerebral ischemia. J Tradit Chin Med. 1997 Dec;17(4):299-303.
- Mauskop A, Varughese J. Why all migraine patients should be treated with magnesium. J Neural Transm. 2012 May;119(5):575-9.
- Lauritzen M. Cerebral blood flow in migraine and cortical spreading depression. Acta Neurol Scand Suppl. 1987;113:1-40.
- Olsen TS, Friberg L, Lassen NA. Migraine aura--vascular or neuronal disease? Ugeskr Laeger. 1990 May 21;152(21):1507-9.
- Olesen J, Larsen B, Lauritzen M. Focal hyperemia followed by spreading oligemia and impaired activation of rCBF in classic migraine. Ann Neurol. 1981 Apr;9(4):344-52.
- Available at: http://memory.ucsf.edu/education/diseases/vascular. Accessed August 6, 2013.
- Aradi M, Schwarcz A, Perlaki G, et al. Quantitative MRI studies of chronic brain white matter hyperintensities in migraine patients. Headache. 2013 May;53(5):752-63.
- Bashir A, Lipton RB, Ashina S, Ashina M. Migraine and structural changes in the brain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurology. 2013 Oct 1;81(14):1260-8. Epub 2013 Aug 28.
- Gonzalez de la Aleja J, Ramos A, Mato-Abad V, et al. Higher glutamate to glutamine ratios in occipital regions in women with migraine during the interictal state. Headache. 2013 Feb;53(2):365-75.
- Longoni M, Ferrarese C. Inflammation and excitotoxicity: role in migraine pathogenesis. Neurol Sci. 2006 May;27 Suppl 2:S107-10.
- Plummer PN, Colson NJ, Lewohl JM, et al. Significant differences in gene expression of GABA receptors in peripheral blood leukocytes of migraineurs. Gene. 2011 Dec 15;490(1-2):32-6.
- Lu SL, Liu X, Wang JL, et al. The development of nao li shenand its clinical application. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1997 Nov;49(11):1162-4.
- Li H, Fan P, Li K, Jiang J, PeI R. Effect of Naloxone combined with Gastrodin in treatment of actue cerebral infarction. China Modern Doctor. 2012:122-25.
- Wei J-j, Zhou Y-l. Treatment of posterior circulation ischemia with gastrodin and betahistine. Practical Clinical Medicine. 2012;13(4).
- Zeng X, Zhang S, Zhang L, Zhang K, Zheng X. A study of the neuroprotective effect of the phenolic glucoside gastrodin during cerebral ischemia in vivo and in vitro. Planta Med. 2006 Dec;72(15):1359-65.
- Liu W, Su BL, Wang ZS, Zhang X, Gao YS, Song SW. Gastrodin improved baroreflex sensitivity and increased gamma-amino butyric acid content in brains without decreasing blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2012 Oct;18(10):873-5.
- Xu X, Lu Y, Bie X. Protective effects of gastrodin on hypoxia-induced toxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical neurons. Planta Med. 2007 Jun;73(7):650-4.
- Zeng X, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Zheng X. A microdialysis study of effects of gastrodin on neurochemical changes in the ischemic/reperfused rat cerebral hippocampus. Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Apr;30(4):801-4.
- Guo X, Nie Y. Short-term therapeutic efficacy of gastrodin on migraine. Chinese Journal of General Practice. 2011;9(4).
- Youlai Z. Therapeutic Efficacy of gastrodin on migraine. The Medical Forum. 2006;10(4).
- Guo F. Aerospace Medicine. 2009 Sept.
- Bai Y, Zhao Y. Controlled clinical trial of gastrodine combined with flunarizine in prevention of migraine attack. Journal of Mudanjiang Medical University. 2009;30(1).
- Morris ME. Brain and CSF magnesium concentrations during magnesium deficit in animals and humans: neurological symptoms. Magnes Res. 1992 Dec;5(4):303-13.
- Mauskop A, Altura BM. Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraines. Clin Neurosci. 1998;5(1):24-7.
- Mauskop A, Altura BT, Cracco RQ, Altura BM. Deficiency in serum ionized magnesium but not total magnesium in patients with migraines. Possible role of ICa2+/IMg2+ ratio. Headache. 1993 Mar;33(3):135-8.
- Sun-Edelstein C, Mauskop A. Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraine. Expert Rev Neurother. 2009 Mar;9(3):369-79.
- Lysakowski C, Von Elm E, Dumont L, et al. Effect of magnesium, high altitude and acute mountain sickness on blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery. Clin Sci (Lond). 2004 Mar;106(3):279-85.
- Koseoglu E, Talaslioglu A, Gonul AS, Kula M. The effects of magnesium prophylaxis in migraine without aura. Magnes Res. 2008 Jun;21(2):101-8.
- Safar MM, Abdallah DM, Arafa NM, Abdel-Aziz MT. Magnesium supplementation enhances the anticonvulsant potential of valproate in pentylenetetrazol-treated rats. Brain Res. 2010 Jun 2;1334:58-64.
- Lyden P, Wahlgren NG. Mechanisms of action of neuroprotectants in stroke. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2000 Nov;9(6 Pt 2):9-14.
- Afshari D, Moradian N, Rezaei M. Evaluation of the intravenous magnesium sulfate effect in clinical improvement of patients with acute ischemic stroke. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2013 Apr;115(4):400-4.
- Held K, Antonijevic IA, Kunzel H, et al. Oral Mg(2+) supplementation reverses age-related neuroendocrine and sleep EEG changes in humans. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2002 Jul;35(4):135-43.
- Facchinetti F, Sances G, Borella P, Genazzani AR, Nappi G. Magnesium prophylaxis of menstrual migraine: effects on intracellular magnesium. Headache. 1991 May;31(5):298-301.
- Taubert K. Magnesium in migraine. Results of a multicenter pilot study. Fortschr Med. 1994 Aug 30;112(24):328-30.
- Thomas J, Tomb E, Thomas E, Faure G. Migraine treatment by oral magnesium intake and correction of the irritation of buccofacial and cervical muscles as a side effect of mandibular imbalance. Magnes Res. 1994 Jun;7(2):123-7.
- Peikert A, Wilimzig C, Kohne-Volland R. Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study. Cephalalgia. 1996 Jun;16(4):257-63.
- Bigal ME, Bordini CA, Tepper SJ, Speciali JG. Intravenous magnesium sulphate in the acute treatment of migraine without aura and migraine with aura. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Cephalalgia. 2002 Jun;22(5):345-53.
- Mauskop A, Altura BT, Cracco RQ, Altura BM. Intravenous magnesium sulfate rapidly alleviates headaches of various types. Headache. 1996 Mar;36(3):154-60.
- Demirkaya S, Vural O, Dora B, Topcuoglu MA. Efficacy of intravenous magnesium sulfate in the treatment of acute migraine attacks. Headache. 2001 Feb;41(2):171-7.
- Tarighat Esfanjani A, Mahdavi R, Ebrahimi Mameghani M, Talebi M, Nikniaz Z, Safaiyan A. The effects of magnesium, L-carnitine, and concurrent magnesium-L-carnitine supplementation in migraine prophylaxis. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012 Dec;150(1-3):42-8.
- Wang F, Van Den Eeden SK, Ackerson LM, Salk SE, Reince RH, Elin RJ. Oral magnesium oxide prophylaxis of frequent migrainous headache in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Headache. 2003 Jun;43(6):601-10.
- Cete Y, Dora B, Ertan C, Ozdemir C, Oktay C. A randomized prospective placebo-controlled study of intravenous magnesium sulphate vs. metoclopramide in the management of acute migraine attacks in the Emergency Department. Cephalalgia. 2005 Mar;25(3):199-204.
- Available at: http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html. Accessed October 9, 2013.
- Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs. Accessed October 9, 2013.
- Available at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-with-aura/DS00908/DSECTION=symptoms. Accessed October 9, 2013.
- Available at: http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/02_teil1/01.01.00_migraine.html. Accessed October 14, 2013.
- Giffin NJ, Ruggiero L, Lipton RB, et al. Premonitory symptoms in migraine: an electronic diary study. Neurology. 2003 Mar 25;60(6):935-40.
- Available at: http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/migraine/medications-for-treating-migraine-attacks.html. Accessed October 14, 2013.