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Glutamate is a food additive that has long been used by man from ancient times when they found out that certain foods taste better when their aroma and basic taste is improved on by other food derivatives. Fermented fish sauce, first used by the early Romans is rich in glutamate that to this date, many countries all over the world still use the fishy derivative of fermented fish to add flavor to their dishes.
As it turns out, the term given by the Japanese scientist during the early 1900′s “UMAMI” is derived fro the Japanese word that describes the pleasant savory flavor certain foods attain when cooked to not only taste good but smell good as well. They started to derive the very first MSG additives from seaweed but later synthesized it in the lab making it more affordable to most people. Today, it comes in little packets(mostly by the Japanese food group Ajinomoto) which manufactures most of the world’s supply of the food additive. it can be found in most markets globally which may be testament enough to it’s safety and longevity in the quest to make ordinary food, extraordinary for everyone!

A migraine is normally triggered by the following things:

Hormonal changes – Fluctuation in estrogen seem to trigger migraine in many women with migraines. Women with a family history of migraine, often account headaches shortly before or after their menstruation.
Foods – Alcohol, aged cheeses, chocolates, gorge of caffeine, pickled or marinated foods, and canned and processed foods are some of the foods that trigger headache.
Changes in environment – Change of weather aggravate headaches.
Stress either at home or in work
Changes in wake-sleep pattern – which is to either lack of sleep or oversleeping
Physical factors – Forceful physical exertion, which includes sexual activity.

MSG or Monosodium Glutamate is considered to be one of the most studied food additive the world over with most major government branches of most developed countries around the world all having the same opinion, it is not harmful to your health. At least if it is used in moderation and properly for it has managed to stick around all these years even with claims of the food additive being stripped from major processed foodstuff.

Concealed as hydrolyzed protein, it’s the same MSG that was invented. It is also described as the most studied food additive the world over so rest your fears that it is harmful for it is actually a synthesized amino acid used to make food tastier. It has the ability to lessen the amount of salt added to a dish to achieve the desired taste, bringing out the food’s natural flavor making the more pronounced. So you be the judge, salt – high doses are known to cause a ton of health problems or a few pinches of MSG to make your dish taste better?

In a manner of speaking, a blog carnival is a collection of webpages to a variety of a blogs on a certain topic. The Headache & Migraine Blog Carnival has been founded to help headache patients and people who blog about it with a focused perspective to share their ideas on topics of significant interest and importance to us Migraineurs. The summer season can be a fun time of the year with special summer events where family and friends get together and bring and eat lots of great food. However, it is also the time when headache and migraine sufferers worry about.

They try to cope up with the pressure by attending social events, do away with migraine triggering foods and drinks, abnormal sleeping patterns and many other stresses and problems that comes with summer. Even the frustration that results from migraine seems to only make matters worse by making routine tasks more unbearable or even impossible to do because some Migraineurs peg over the top expectations for ourselves. Because of this, ending up stuck in bed nursing a horrific migraine can be quite disappointing and instead of having a fun time with your family and friends. If there is any consolation, its the thought that you’re not alone in facing these frustrations and there is an online support group to that helps each other come up with coping strategies.

There are many factors that trigger migraine. These are the food you eat, beverages you drink, time of sleep, and condition of your environment. Take note of the following points:

Food – chocolates, nuts, cheese, Chinese food, shellfish, and other kind of sweets
Beverage – coffee, alcohol, and other caffeinated drinks
Activities – staying up late, lack of sleep, crowded environment, too much heat, and skipping meals

Discipline can be your key to avoid suffering from migraine. If you cannot cure it, avoid it! It can be easy for you to overcome and manage this illness if you are a good follower and master of your health.

The effects of acupuncture have long been known, proof that the wisdom of the ancient Chinese who developed and used it for almost all ailments to be true. Though the links between acupuncture and medical technology have been somewhat established, they are somewhat still a gray zone due to the fact the areas that are said to be sensitive to the ailing part of the human body responds in the same way even if it were done in the wrong area. Maybe its the mere knowledge that the procedure will be helping ease the pain for the placebo effect can take hold even if the treatment wasn’t totally right in the administration. Read the rest of this entry »

Which is caused by people staying away from physical activity due to fear of initiating or causing migraine attacks. The decision to forgo physical activity can indeed cause obesity but that should be done so only with professional opinion. It is true that certain physical activity can aggravate migraines and even cause them but to steer away completely from exercise can create a totally new condition or health effect. The truth is that no exercise program has ever been approved of being migraine safe so proper medical testing and advise should be considered to take in all the factors that may be causing your migraine. Some migraines are caused by stress and some by activity but this warrants more study to ensure a link is either proven true or false. Read the rest of this entry »

Studies are showing that women who are pregnant get a higher risk of heart diseases and other vascular conditions that can be quite risky which makes proper medical monitoring a vital part of the health check regimen. As statistics show, around 26% of all childbearing aged women suffer from migraines aged 35 to 39. Vascular diseases are also known to develop during pregnancy but the link between the two have not yet been undertaken hence the move to do so has been taken with a sizable group of test subjects to get a good data set. Read the rest of this entry »

Your daily activities can be compromised when you suffer from a migraine attack. Sensitivity to light and sound is common brought about by hormonal changes, lack of rest and sleep, lack of food, stress and fatigue.

One way to alleviate the agonizing pain of migraine is through massage. Applying gentle pressure to the head, neck, shoulders can offers relief of muscle stiffness in these areas and relaxation. You can either massage yourself or let a qualified massage therapist do it for you. It is better though if you learn different anti-migraine massages yourself, so you can immediately give yourself some relief when you are suddenly faced with an attack. Pain medication does help, but are sure to be times when you have no access to pain meds – besides, dependence on pain medication can be harmful to you.

Pregnant women who suffer from migraines have been found to be at greater risk of developing cardiovascular conditions during the course of their pregnancy. The study shows that they can suffer from heart disease, blood clots and high blood pressure and is of grave concern due to the fact that it greatly increases risks with childbearing. The chances of contracting heart conditions during pregnancy has been found to increase by more than 2% for women older than 40 with white women being more at risk. Migraines during pregnancy has been linked to a 15% increase in the risk of getting a stroke along with many other vascular conditions. Smoking, further complicates the situation, increasing the risks two fold. Pregnant women who have migraines should inform their doctor about the condition so measures to control vascular conditions can be taken.
Pregnant women should also inform their gynecologists so they could look out for trouble signs should complications arise that can endanger the child and mother.