The Association between Plant Protein Sources and Migraine Symptoms: A Case-Control Study among Iranian Adults

Migraine is characterized by frequent attacks of debilitating headaches, often accompanied by sensory and motor disturbances. Although the clinical manifestations of migraine are influenced by diet, the relationship between food groups such as legumes and nuts with migraine has not been identified. The present study was conducted to compare the consumption of legumes and nuts among patients with migraine and healthy individuals and to investigate the relationship between their consumption and migraine.

This study included 140 patients with migraine and 230 age-matched healthy individuals. Food intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The characteristics of migraine headaches and the headache daily result (HDR) were also evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS).

Patients with migraine consumed fewer legumes, not nuts. After adjusting for potential confounders, patients with the highest tertile legume intake were found to have a 2.9 times higher risk of severe migraines [odds ratio (OR): 2.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03-8.16] and a 65% reduced chance of experiencing recurrent migraines (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.13-0.97). Patients who consumed more nuts had a 63% reduced likelihood of experiencing long-term headaches (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.99) and a 69% reduced risk of HDR.

Our findings indicated that higher consumption of legumes was associated with increased intensity and decreased frequency of migraine attacks.