Can Cutting Out Sugar Help Migraine Symptoms?

Sugar gets a lot of attention—and for good reason. While sweet treats are the obvious sources, many everyday foods break down into sugar once digested. Foods like rice, corn, and even iceberg lettuce can quickly turn into simple sugars in the body. When we consume too much of these, whether from desserts or hidden sources, it can lead to dehydration. 

Sugar’s Domino Effect 

Sugar and caffeine are diuretics, meaning they dehydrate your body. Your cells become smaller and have less energy to function, leading to deficiencies in nutrients that your brain needs. This is how foods and drinks containing sugar can become migraine triggers. The biochemical balance of your cells gets disrupted, and you no longer have Electrolyte Homeostasis (proper cell hydration). Migraine triggers are not based on specific foods, but actually the key elements those foods contain and how they affect the hydration levels of your cells.  

If you absolutely cannot say no to sugar, one way to balance out the dehydrating sugary foods and drinks you have is to make sure to drink extra water with them. Hydrating will help restore electrolyte homeostasis.  

The Worst Form of Sugar  

One form of sugar that you should cut out completely is sugar substitutes. Artificial sweeteners have the same chemical structure as real sugar, tricking the brain into believing that it has gotten energy when it really hasn't. These sugar substitutes also fool our body into releasing insulin into the blood like our body does when we take in real sugar. Insulin resistance increases—also known as type II diabetes.  Artificial sweeteners can make you exhausted and sleepy because real sugar is the brain's only source of energy. Sugar substitutes just deny your brain energy.  

Sugar substitutes backfire because they trick your brain. You taste sweetness, but your body doesn't get the energy it expects, so the cravings keep coming. People who regularly consume artificial sweeteners often end up eating more sugary foods overall than those who stick to foods made with real sugar. 

If you're craving something sweet, try choosing options with natural sugar and pair them with a glass or two of water. This approach might make sugar less likely to trigger a migraine for you.