How Feverfew May Help Relieve Migraines
Researchers at Yale University have identified a possible mechanism behind the migraine-relieving properties of the herb feverfew. Feverfew contains a compound called parthenolide, which appears to target a protein known as I kappaB Kinase (IKK). This protein plays a role in inflammatory pathways.
In laboratory studies, researchers created a derivative of parthenolide and found that it bound directly to IKK. This suggests a potential anti-inflammatory mechanism that may explain feverfew’s traditional use for migraine relief. Their findings were published in Chemistry & Biology (August 2001).
More recent human research adds further support. A study in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2017; 17:433) followed adults who met the International Headache Society’s diagnostic criteria for migraine and had more than two attacks per month. After a one-month baseline, participants took a daily supplement containing:
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100 mg feverfew
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100 mg CoQ10
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112.5 mg magnesium
for three months. By the third month, supplementation significantly reduced the number of migraine days compared to baseline.
