The Wall Street Journal’s Sumathi Reddy points out that
headaches can be triggered by a range of things, from stress to
lack of sleep to a change in the weather, and every person is
susceptible to different triggers, or combination of triggers.
Experts say food can be another factor that sets off a headache.
But David Buchholz, an associate professor of neurology at Johns
Hopkins University and author of the book “Heal Your Headache,”
says a big difference is that people might be able to avoid the
foods that prompt the ailment. Reddy notes some experts think
there may be a chemical reaction that leads to some headaches or
foods that trigger a vascular response involving nerves and
blood vessels around the head. A newer theory suggests that
certain foods may prompt an immune-system response that triggers
headache. A possible culprit is tyramine, a naturally occurring
chemical in food. “There’s a fairly long list” of foods that can
potentially trigger headaches, says Linda Porter, a pain-policy
adviser at the N