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Butterbur for migraines
My daughter-in-law suffers badly from migraines, which seem to be getting worse. She has identified several triggers including alcohol, chocolate and stress but they are also more frequent around menstruation. What do you suggest?
Nutritionists claim that food triggers are responsible for 90% of all cases of migraines - and the substance causing the problem is amine, which is found not only in chocolate but also in yeast, citrus fruits, nuts, dairy products, and red wine.
The herb that your daughter-in-law should try is called Butterbur (Petasites hybridus). It works in the same way as the more traditional migraine remedy, feverfew, to open up the constricting blood vessels in the head that are causing the migraine attacks but it also has a nerve-calming action and so can help banish tension headaches too.
Clinical trials of this herb revealed how migraine sufferers who took 50mg of standardised extract, twice daily, reduced the number of migraine days by 62% over a six-month period. A standardised extract guarantees a minimum dose of the active ingredients and for the same results, you need the same dosage. She must also remember it can take up to three months for a herbal remedy to really take effect and so give it chance to work.
*Migravoid provides 50mg of Butterbur per capsule and costs £19.95 for 60 tablets. Mail order from Victoria Health on 0800-413596