Many people suffering from persistent headaches and their caregivers have found that trial provides them with 'grounds to optimism'A diet high in omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids lowers headache frequency than a diet low in these fatty acids. This is according to a study published today by The BMJ.The modern industrialized diet is low in omega 3 and high in Omega 6 fatty acid. These fatty acids act as precursors to oxylipins, which are molecules that regulate pain and inflammation.Omega 3 fatty acid-derived oxylipins are thought to have pain-reducing effects. However, oxylipins made from omega 6 fat acids can worsen pain and cause migraine. However, previous studies on omega 3 fatty acids supplements for migraine were not conclusive.A team of US researchers set out to determine if omega-3 fatty acids could increase the pain-relieving 17-hydroxydocosahexaenoic Acid (17-HDHA), and decrease the severity and frequency of headaches.The results were based on 182 patients from the University of North Carolina (USA) who suffered from migraine headaches 5-20 days per months and were randomly assigned to one of three diets over 16 weeks.The control diet had the same levels of omega 3 fatty acids as the interventional diet. Both interventional diets increased omega 3 fatty acids intake. Both diets maintained the same intake of omega 6 acids as the control, while the other simultaneously decreased intake.Participants received regular nutritional counseling and online support during the trial. The headache impact test (HIT-6), which measures the impact of headaches on quality and quantity of life, was also administered to participants. An electronic diary was used to assess headache frequency daily.Both interventional diets had a 16-week increase in 17-HDHA levels, and HIT-6 scores increased in both interventional groups. However, statistically, these results were not significantly different from those of the control.However, both intervention groups showed statistically significant decreases in headache frequency.A high-omega 3 diet resulted in a decrease of 1.3 headache hours per days and two headache days per year. Low omega 6 and high omega 3 diet groups saw a decrease of 1.7 hours per day, four headache days per months, respectively. This suggests that lowering your dietary omega-6 fatty acids may be beneficial.Participants in the intervention group also reported fewer severe headaches than those in the control.Although this was a well-designed, high-quality trial, the researchers point out some limitations such as the difficulty patients had in adhering to a strict diet, and the fact that many of the participants were young women. These results might not be applicable to older adults, children, or other groups.They write that while the diets didn't significantly improve the quality of life, they did produce large and robust reductions in the severity and frequency of headaches relative the control diet."This study shows that targeted dietary changes can treat pain in humans, and it is biologically plausible." They conclude that the collective findings point to causal mechanisms linking n-3 fatty acids and n-6 to pain regulation and provide new options for managing chronic pain in people.These results support the recommendation of a high-omega 3 diet to patients in clinical practices, according to Rebecca Burch, Brigham and Women's Hospital in a linked editorial.While she acknowledges the complexity of the study's results, she points out that recent trials of migraine prevention drugs reported a reduction of approximately 2-2.5 headache days per months compared to placebo. This suggests that a dietary intervention could be as good or even better.She adds that migraine sufferers are often motivated to make dietary changes. These findings "take us closer to a goal that headache patients and their caregivers have long hoped for: a migraine diet supported by solid clinical trials results.###Externally peer-reviewed? Yes (research); no (linked editorial).Type of evidence: Randomised controlled trial; OpinionSubjects: US Adults
