Why magnesium, B2 and CoQ10 often recommended for migraine

In my first year at Naturopathy College, I was required to memorise and be able to hand-write out on demand the biochemical process through which our body converts food into energy. Much of this process happens in the mitochondria of our cells.

(I’ve included a diagram in case you are curious!).

Now at the time, this was the most tedious thing to learn, but boy, am I glad I did!

We also had to learn which nutrients are required at each process stage. Without these nutrients, our bodies cannot make energy from food.

So, what does this have to do with migraine?

Researchers have proposed that the brain cells of some people with migraine may have mitochondrial dysfunction.

And some of the essential nutrients required in energy production - vitamin B2 (riboflavin), CoQ10 and magnesium, and more recently, vitamin B1, have been shown by research to help some people with migraine when used in therapeutic doses.

Believe it or not, the process can be a little more complicated than this when it comes to migraine. For example, gene variants can influence how well your body utilises these nutrients.

Plus, many more drivers are associated with migraine – stress, hormone balance, gut function, diet, lifestyle, sleep, hydration and so on.

(This is why seeing a health professional – such as a naturopath wink wink, nod nod – is ideal for helping figure out the root cause of migraine.)