Association Between Dietary Folate Intake and Severe Headache Among Adults in the USA: a Cross-sectional Survey

Overview

Journal Br J Nutr

Specialty Nutritional Sciences

Date 2023 Jun 20

PMID 37337781

Authors

Sheng Tian

Lanxiang Wu

Heqing Zheng

Xianhui Zhong

Mingxu Liu

Xinping Yu

Wei Wu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Folate, also known as vitamin B, is a water-soluble vitamin. Previous studies on dietary folate intake in severe headache patients were equivocal. Therefore, we conducted a cross-sectional study to elucidate the relationship between folate intake and severe headache. This cross-sectional study used data from participants over 20 years old who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2004. The diagnosis of severe headache was made through participants' self-report in the NHANES questionnaire section. We performed multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression to explore the relationship between folate intake and severe headache. A total of 9859 participants took part in the study, 1965 of whom were severe headache patients and the rest were non-severe headache. We found that dietary folate intake was significantly and inversely associated with severe headache. Compared with participants with lower folate intake Q1 (≤ 229·97 ug/d), the adjusted OR values for dietary folate intake and severe headache in Q2 (229·98-337 ug/d), Q3 (337·01-485 ug/d) and Q4 (≥ 485·01 ug/d) were 0·81 (95 % CI: 0·67, 0·98, = 0·03), 0·93 (95 % CI: 0·77, 1·12, = 0·41) and 0·63 (95 % CI: 0·49, 0·80, < 0·001), respectively. For women aged 20-50 years, there was a non-linear association between folate intake and severe headache in the RCS. Women aged 20-50 years should have higher awareness of dietary folate and increase their dietary intake of folate, which may aid in preventing severe headache.

Citing Articles

Interaction between diabetes and body mass index on severe headache or migraine in adults: a cross-sectional study.

Tian S, Cheng Z, Zheng H, Zhong X, Yu X, Zhang J BMC Geriatr. 2024; 24(1):76.

PMID: 38243194 PMC: 10799418. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04657-3.

References

Borkum J . Brain Energy Deficit as a Source of Oxidative Stress in Migraine: A Molecular Basis for Migraine Susceptibility. Neurochem Res. 2021; 46(8):1913-1932. DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03335-9. View

Fila M, Chojnacki C, Chojnacki J, Blasiak J . Is an "Epigenetic Diet" for Migraines Justified? The Case of Folate and DNA Methylation. Nutrients. 2019; 11(11). PMC: 6893742. DOI: 10.3390/nu11112763. View

Christen W, Cook N, Van Denburgh M, Zaharris E, Albert C, Manson J . Effect of Combined Treatment With Folic Acid, Vitamin B, and Vitamin B on Plasma Biomarkers of Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction in Women. J Am Heart Assoc. 2018; 7(11). PMC: 6015379. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.008517. View

Hong P, Liu Y, Wan Y, Xiong H, Xu Y . An Exponential Curve Relationship Between Serum Urate and Migraine: A Cross-Section Study From NHANES. Front Neurol. 2022; 13:871783. PMC: 9051317. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.871783. View

Liew S, Das Gupta E . Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism: epidemiology, metabolism and the associated diseases. Eur J Med Genet. 2014; 58(1):1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2014.10.004. View

Liampas I, Siokas V, Aloizou A, Tsouris Z, Dastamani M, Aslanidou P . Pyridoxine, folate and cobalamin for migraine: A systematic review. Acta Neurol Scand. 2020; 142(2):108-120. DOI: 10.1111/ane.13251. View

Lodi R, Tonon C, Testa C, Manners D, Barbiroli B . Energy metabolism in migraine. Neurol Sci. 2006; 27 Suppl 2:S82-5. DOI: 10.1007/s10072-006-0576-0. View

Menon S, Lea R, Ingle S, Sutherland M, Wee S, Haupt L . Effects of dietary folate intake on migraine disability and frequency. Headache. 2015; 55(2):301-9. DOI: 10.1111/head.12490. View

Liew S . Folic acid and diseases - supplement it or not?. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2016; 62(1):90-100. DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.62.01.90. View

10.

Gazerani P . A link between migraine and prolactin: the way forward. Future Sci OA. 2021; 7(9):FSO748. PMC: 8558870. DOI: 10.2144/fsoa-2021-0047. View

11.

Lippi G, Mattiuzzi C, Meschi T, Cervellin G, Borghi L . Homocysteine and migraine. A narrative review. Clin Chim Acta. 2014; 433:5-11. DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2014.02.028. View

12.

McNulty H, Ward M, Hoey L, Hughes C, Pentieva K . Addressing optimal folate and related B-vitamin status through the lifecycle: health impacts and challenges. Proc Nutr Soc. 2019; 78(3):449-462. DOI: 10.1017/S0029665119000661. View

13.

Meng S, Zhou H, Li X, Wang M, Kang L, Fu J . Association Between Dietary Iron Intake and Serum Ferritin and Severe Headache or Migraine. Front Nutr. 2021; 8:685564. PMC: 8289886. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.685564. View

14.

Zipf G, Chiappa M, Porter K, Ostchega Y, Lewis B, Dostal J . National health and nutrition examination survey: plan and operations, 1999-2010. Vital Health Stat 1. 2014; (56):1-37. View

15.

Sadeghi O, Nasiri M, Maghsoudi Z, Pahlavani N, Rezaie M, Askari G . Effects of pyridoxine supplementation on severity, frequency and duration of migraine attacks in migraine patients with aura: A double-blind randomized clinical trial study in Iran. Iran J Neurol. 2015; 14(2):74-80. PMC: 4449397. View

16.

Buse D, Loder E, Gorman J, Stewart W, Reed M, Fanning K . Sex differences in the prevalence, symptoms, and associated features of migraine, probable migraine and other severe headache: results of the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study. Headache. 2013; 53(8):1278-99. DOI: 10.1111/head.12150. View

17.

Dardiotis E, Arseniou S, Sokratous M, Tsouris Z, Siokas V, Mentis A . Vitamin B12, folate, and homocysteine levels and multiple sclerosis: A meta-analysis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2017; 17:190-197. DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2017.08.004. View

18.

Goadsby P . Cortical spreading depression--better understanding and more questions. Focus on "distinct vascular conduction with cortical spreading depression". J Neurophysiol. 2007; 97(6):3827. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00232.2007. View

19.

Fila M, Chojnacki C, Chojnacki J, Blasiak J . Nutrients to Improve Mitochondrial Function to Reduce Brain Energy Deficit and Oxidative Stress in Migraine. Nutrients. 2021; 13(12). PMC: 8707228. DOI: 10.3390/nu13124433. View

20.

Rainero I, Vacca A, Roveta F, Govone F, Gai A, Rubino E . Targeting MTHFR for the treatment of migraines. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2018; 23(1):29-37. DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2019.1549544. View