Effect of Major Dietary Interventions on Migraine: a Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials

Despite well-documented evidence on dietary migraine triggers, the role of nutrition in its treatment remains a contentious topic. The objective was to investigate the effect of major dietary interventions on migraine adult patients. A structured literature search was undertaken using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from the database’s establishment until February 16, 2022. Data on migraine frequency, duration, and intensity, as well as adverse events, were gathered from randomized control trials (RCTs) that investigated the effects of major dietary patterns in migraine patients ≥ 18 years. The Cochrane Collaborations risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the quality of included studies. Five RCTs with a total of 645 individuals were included, with two major dietary patterns, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (three studies) and ketogenic diet (KD) (two studies), averaging 12 weeks in duration. Overall, the evidence was of average quality. Most of the trials showed a reduction in migraine attack frequency, duration, or severity. Patients with KD reported the number of side effects. According to the current data, both the DASH diet and the KD may have some benefits for migraine sufferers. Given the small number of trials included and the equivocal outcomes, the conclusions of this study should be regarded with caution. More high-quality, long-term research is needed.