Does caffeine help migraines or cause them?

A dietitian speaks about the relationship between coffee and migraine headaches.

Adenosine is known to inhibit parts of the nervous system.

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When caffeines in your system, it inhibits adenosines ability to bind to adenosine receptors.

More alertness, but also the potential for pain relief.

When caffeines in your system, it inhibits adenosines ability to bind to adenosine receptors.

Photography of a apple juice in glasses and apples in a wicker basket on wooden table

Brooklyn–based registered dietitian

More alertness, but also the potential for pain relief.

So does caffeine help migraines or cause them?

Based on the info above, it seems as though caffeine is more helpful than harmful for migraine relief.

red pigment in a wooden spoon

Second, caffeine withdrawal was found to trigger migraines in up to 30 percent of participants.

In other words, your morning coffee or matcha latte groove is unlikely to make your migraines worse.

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Cropped shot of young woman shopping in the dairy section of a supermarket. She is reading the nutrition label on a container of fresh organic healthy natural yoghurt

Brooklyn–based registered dietitian

A hand is stirring a sourdough starter in a glass jar, on a kitchen countertop. The light casts a warm glow, highlighting the ingredients inside the jar.

Two cups with coffee and green tea on a beige background.