Headache Support

According to the World Health Organization, headaches are among the top ten most disabling conditions in the world. Globally, the number of adults who experience a general headache disorder is estimated to be as high as 46% (1). Severe headaches are a common occurrence in US adults, with approximately 1 in every 6 Americans experiencing one within a 3 month period. This disproportionately affects women, with roughly 20.7% of women experiencing severe headaches compared to 9.7% of males (2).

Due to the debilitating effects of severe headaches and/or migraines, it is essential to help address possible mechanisms or underlying causes. Primary headaches account for the majority of cases and are not typically associated with any life-threatening complications (3).

The protocol below includes evidence-based ingredient suggestions to consider for either symptom relief or preventative management of primary headaches and/or migraines.

Descubra la clave

About the Protocol

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

Recommended Dose: 6.25-18.75 mg, three times per day, minimum 12 weeks (4,5)

Magnesium Citrate OR Migranol

Recommended Dose: 600 mg, total per day of magnesium citrate, minimum 12 weeks (6, 7)

Migranol™ provides a synergistic blend of botanical extracts, magnesium, and riboflavin (vitamin B2).
Designed to support brain health and a healthy response to stress.
This formula contains targeted amounts of feverfew, rosemary extract, and a blend of three powerful curcuminoids to promote a healthy inflammatory response. Magnesium is added for its effects on muscle relaxation.

Vitamin D- Vitamin D3 2000 Complex

Recommended Dose: 2000 IU total per day, minimum 12 weeks (8, 9)

High-potency formula for bone and immune health Vitamin D3 2000 Complex 50 mcg (2,000 IU) of vitamin D3 in each tablet.
Added isoflavones help the body utilize vitamin D3 effectively.

Butterbur (Petasites hybridus)- 75mg

Recommended Dose: 100-150 mg, total per day, minimum 12 weeks (10,11)

European herbalists have been using butterbur for decades and scientific studies have demonstrated that petasins, the active constituents in butterbur, can support healthy blood flow to the brain and promote normal neurological function.
NOW® Butterbur is also free of undesirable pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), so it can be used regularly.
Supports healthy blood flow to the brain

Coenzyme Q10- Q Evail 200mg

Recommended Dose: 100-400 mg total per day, minimum of 12 weeks (12-14)

Q-Evail offers 200 mg of highly bioavailable ubiquinone coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) in easy-to-swallow softgels. It is manufactured via a new, proprietary emulsification process that uses all-natural ingredients, including vitamin E, medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and lecithin that is free of polysorbate 80.
Superior bioavailability has been demonstrated in an in-house human clinical trial, showing this material to be up to eight times more bioavailable than crystalline CoQ10 powder.
Supplemental amounts may be beneficial for supporting health and helping to prevent or limit oxidative damage.

References

1.Stovner, L., Hagen, K., Jensen, R., Katsarava, Z., Lipton, R., Scher, A., Steiner, T., & Zwart, J.-A. (2007). The global burden of headache: a documentation of headache prevalence and disability worldwide. Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, 27(3), 193–210. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17381554/ 2.Burch, R., Rizzoli, P., & Loder, E. (2018). The Prevalence and Impact of Migraine and Severe Headache in the United States: Figures and Trends From Government Health Studies. Headache, 58(4), 496–505. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29527677/ 3.Ahmed, F. (2012). Headache disorders: differentiating and managing the common subtypes. British Journal of Pain, 6(3), 124–132. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26516483/ 4.Diener, H. C., Pfaffenrath, V., Schnitker, J., Friede, M., & Henneicke-von Zepelin, H.-H. (2005). Efficacy and safety of 6.25 mg t.i.d. feverfew CO2-extract (MIG-99) in migraine prevention–a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled study. Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, 25(11), 1031–1041. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16232154/ 5.Pfaffenrath, V., Diener, H. C., Fischer, M., Friede, M., Henneicke-von Zepelin, H. H., & Investigators. (2002). The efficacy and safety of Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) in migraine prophylaxis–a double-blind, multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled dose-response study. Cephalalgia: An International Journal of Headache, 22(7), 523–532. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12230594/ 6.Von Luckner, A., & Riederer, F. (2018). Magnesium in Migraine Prophylaxis-Is There an Evidence-Based Rationale? A Systematic Review. Headache, 58(2), 199–209. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29131326/ 7.Köseoglu, E., Talaslioglu, A., Gönül, A. S., & Kula, M. (2008). The effects of magnesium prophylaxis in migraine without aura. Magnesium Research: Official Organ of the International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium, 21(2), 101–108. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18705538/ 8.Buettner, C., Nir, R.-R., Bertisch, S. M., Bernstein, C., Schain, A., Mittleman, M. A., & Burstein, R. (2015). Simvastatin and vitamin D for migraine prevention: A randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Neurology, 78(6), 970–981. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26418341/ 9.Ghorbani, Z., Rafiee, P., Fotouhi, A., Haghighi, S., Rasekh Magham, R., Ahmadi, Z. S., Djalali, M., Zareei, M., Razeghi Jahromi, S., Shahemi, S., Mahmoudi, M., & Togha, M. (2020). The effects of vitamin D supplementation on interictal serum levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in episodic migraine patients: post hoc analysis of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 21(1), 22. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32093657/ 10.Grossman, W., & Schmidramsl, H. (2001). An extract of Petasites hybridus is effective in the prophylaxis of migraine. Alternative Medicine Review: A Journal of Clinical Therapeutic, 6(3), 303–310. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11410074/ 11.Lipton, R. B., Göbel, H., Einhäupl, K. M., Wilks, K., & Mauskop, A. (2004). Petasites hybridus root (butterbur) is an effective preventive treatment for migraine. Neurology, 63(12), 2240–2244. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15623680/ 12.Dahri, M., Tarighat-Esfanjani, A., Asghari-Jafarabadi, M., & Hashemilar, M. (2019). Oral coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with migraine: Effects on clinical features and inflammatory markers. Nutritional Neuroscience, 22(9), 607–615. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29298622/ 13.Sándor, P. S., Di Clemente, L., Coppola, G., Saenger, U., Fumal, A., Magis, D., Seidel, L., Agosti, R. M., & Schoenen, J. (2005). Efficacy of coenzyme Q10 in migraine prophylaxis: a randomized controlled trial. Neurology, 64(4), 713–715. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15728298/ 14.Shoeibi, A., Olfati, N., Soltani Sabi, M., Salehi, M., Mali, S., & Akbari Oryani, M. (2017). Effectiveness of coenzyme Q10 in prophylactic treatment of migraine headache: an open-label, add-on, controlled trial. Acta Neurologica Belgica, 117(1), 103–109. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27670440/