Research published in Neurology (February 2001; 56:385–388) suggests that removing gluten from the diet may help reduce severe headaches in some individuals. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats, barley, rye, and spelt. Although the study was small, seven of nine patients who tried a gluten-free diet experienced a complete resolution of headaches. Two others reported noticeable improvement.
Magnetic resonance imaging showed signs of inflammation in the central nervous system, suggesting a possible immune or inflammatory link. These results are consistent with other research showing that some migraine sufferers may react to gluten.
Additional evidence comes from a study published in Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova (2015; 115(8):13–17), which evaluated 200 patients with celiac disease and compared them with 100 patients who had GERD but not celiac disease. All participants kept headache diaries before and during a gluten-free diet.
Key findings:
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Migraines were four times more common in patients with celiac disease.
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Migraine attacks were 2.5 times more frequent in the celiac group.
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Attacks were 55% less intense on average and tended to begin later in life.
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After switching to a gluten-free diet:
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25% had complete disappearance of migraine attacks
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38% had reduced frequency and/or intensity
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The researchers noted a clear association between celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and migraine syndrome—and documented significant improvement with a gluten-free diet. Earlier studies have also linked wheat consumption with headache symptoms in some sensitive individuals.
This is supported by a 2018 review in Nutrients, which found increased rates of migraine in people with celiac disease and reported significant improvement—sometimes complete resolution—after adopting a gluten-free diet. The review noted that migraines are significantly more common in those with celiac disease, and that a gluten-free diet led to complete resolution of headaches in up to 75% of patients [2].
