Migraines and Vitamin B

New research from Australia, links supplements of B6 and B12, and folic acid to a decrease in migraines. According to findings to be published in an upcoming issue of Pharmacogenetics and Genomics, scientists recruited 52 people diagnosed with migraine with aura. The participants were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin supplements of 2mg of folic acid, 25mg vitamin B6, 400 micrograms of B12, or a placebo, for six months. Results showed a reduction in homocysteine levels by 39%, compared to baseline, and statistically significant compared to placebo. The supplements were also associated with a reduction in the prevalence of migraine disability from 60% at the start of the study to 30% after 6 months. Reductions in the frequency of the headache and the severity of the pain were also observed in people in the B vitamin group, while no such changes were observed in the placebo group.*

*Sahni S, Hannan MT, Blumberg J, Cupples LA, Kiel DP, Tucker KL. “Protective Effect of Total Carotenoid and Lycopene Intake on the Risk of Hip Fracture: A 17-Year Follow Up From the Framingham Osteoporosis Study.” J Bone Miner Res. 2009 Jan 12. [Epub ahead of print].