Original Post Date: Oct 5, 2022
Migraines are more than just headaches—they are often debilitating experiences. While some drugs may help reduce your suffering, prescription drugs usually have some side effects, and the exact cause of migraine headaches is poorly understood. However, some research suggests that migraines may be related to gut health. As such, the measures you take to improve both gut health and migraines may be one and the same. It’s all connected to what experts call the gut-brain axis.
The Gut-Brain Axis
The gut and the brain are connected through nerves, metabolic signals, and endocrine pathways. Neurotransmitters produced in the gut regulate the enteric nervous system (ENS), which oversees many unconscious bodily functions. This is a bidirectional communication system; the gut sends signals to the brain and the brain sends signals to the gut.
Probiotic bacteria in the colon convert components from the food we eat into compounds called postbiotic metabolites. Many of these metabolites get absorbed. A recent study reported that as much as 36% of the low-molecular compounds in the blood are postbiotic metabolites derived from gut microbiota. After being absorbed, some of these metabolites have an impact on the brain as well. Numerous studies have discussed the gut-brain axis and the way gut bacteria affect mental health. Hence, your gut microbes affect your moods, emotions and your mental health. Improving the composition of probiotic bacteria in your gut can affect the brain in several ways. Conversely, if your gut’s microbiome is out of balance, it may lead to issues with the brain, including migraines and headaches.
What’s the Connection Between Gut Health and Migraines?
Thousands of scientific studies have been published on the gut-brain axis in recent years and much of this research is providing an understanding of the link between gut health and migraines. For example, studies have reported that postbiotic metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) get absorbed into systemic circulation. This allows them to communicate with the brain in several ways. In addition to influencing signaling brain pathways, SCFAs also help prevent neurological damage to brain cells¹.
The authors of a study published in Frontiers in Neurology stated the following, “This study confirms a causal relationship between the gut microbiota and migraines.”² This provides a new perspective on the cause and possible treatments for migraine headaches.
While there’s still research to be done in this area, there is some reason to believe that an imbalance in the gut’s microbiome may play a role in migraine headaches. One of the main contributing factors seems to be inflammation.
Migraines and Neuroinflammation
While there may be multiple causes of migraines, an increasing number of studies report a link between gut dysbiosis and migraine headaches. Gut dysbiosis causes inflammation, which breaks down tight junction proteins. This creates intestinal permeability, which allows inflammatory compounds to pass from the gut into the body. When they reach the brain, they cause inflammation, which weakens the blood-brain barrier. Thus, leaky gut can cause a leaky blood-brain barrier. This allows harmful substances to enter the brain, which may cause inflammation in the brain and trigger migraines.³
Imaging studies have reported that individuals who experience migraines may have increased levels of inflammation in the brain. For instance, a study published in 2019 used PET/MRI scans to examine the brains of 13 people who regularly suffered from migraines and compared them to the brains of the brains of healthy controls. The results showed an association between migraines and inflammatory triggers in the brain.⁴ Put simply, inflammation in the brain appears to be linked to migraines.
Inflammation and Leaky Gut
As mentioned above, inflammation in the brain may result from gut-related issues, namely a condition commonly known as “leaky gut”. Leaky gut occurs when gut inflammation breaks down the barriers in the intestinal lining. This allows the intestinal barrier to become permeable, allowing harmful substances to pass into the bloodstream. This allows inflammatory compounds lead to leak into the body, causing inflammation and weakening the immune system.⁵ Those harmful substances may reach the brain, potentially leading to neuroinflammation, creating a permeable blood-brain barrier and increasing the likelihood of migraine headaches.⁶
Gut Health and Headaches
There’s a growing body of research showing a correlation between the gut-brain axis and migraines, with various studies showing an association between gut microbiome imbalances, migraines, and other conditions often associated with leakage from the gut. Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and Helicobacter pylori infections are all associated with both migraines and leaky gut.⁷
Healing the Gut Barrier
Studies now conclusively confirm that bacterial imbalance or dysbiosis results in gut inflammation. This causes damage to the gut lining, causing intestinal permeability or “leaky gut”, which is associated with migraine headaches.⁸ Thus, efforts to correct dysbiosis and heal the gut may help to prevent migraines. However, it has become apparent that taking oral probiotic supplements are not an effective way to correct these gut problems. This was explained in a brief article title The Oral Probiotic Dilemma.
Two Steps to Heal the Gut
Two important things that people can do to help heal gut inflammation and intestinal permeability problems are improving the diet and taking postbiotic metabolites. Let’s take a closer look at these two important considerations.
Diet
Probiotic bacteria convert substances in food into compounds called postbiotic metabolites. Postbiotic metabolites play critical roles in maintaining a healthy intestinal environment and/or correcting dysbiosis and gut inflammation problems. The importance of postbiotic metabolites cannot be overestimated because they provide a wide range of health-regulating activities.
Unfortunately, people today consume far too much processed food. In fact, studies report that from 80-95% of American children and adults do not consume adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, which are the primary source of the dietary fiber and polyphenols that probiotic bacteria require to produce postbiotic metabolites.⁹ ¹⁰ Poor diets are one of the primary causes of bacterial imbalance and gut inflammation, which may explain the association between gut inflammation and migraine headaches.
Postbiotic Metabolites Regulate the Gut
Oral probiotic supplements usually get destroyed when they encounter stomach acid, which is over 10,000 times stronger than the acidity in the small intestine and colon. However, directly ingesting postbiotic metabolites has been shown to be an effect way to achieve beneficial improvements in the gut microbiome.
Various postbiotic metabolites exert anti-inflammatory activity. Others are classified as antimicrobial peptides, which are naturally produced antibiotics that kill or suppress the growth of pathogens. Numerous other postbiotic metabolites are weakly acidic compounds that also play a critical role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome ecosystem.
Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotic supplements are produced in a multi-year fermentation process that utilizes 13 distinctive strains of probiotic bacteria along with a wide range of Japanese fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and seaweeds. During the 3-year fermentation process, the bacteria break down components in the foods, which results in the production of over 500 postbiotic metabolites. That’s The Dr. Ohhira’s Advantage….!
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References
1 Dalile B, et al. The role of short-chain fatty acids in microbiota-gut-brain communication. Nat Rev Gastroenterol & Hepatol. May 23, 2019;16:461-478.
2 Zang X, et l. A thorough investigation into the correlation between migraines and the gut microbiome: an in-depth analysis using Mendelian randomization studies. Frontiers in Neurology. 1 Jul, 2024:15.
3 Yamanaka G, et al. Role of Neuroinflammation and Bood-Brain Barrier Permutability on Migraines. Int J. Mol. Sci. 2021;22(16):8929..
4 Albrecht DS, et al. Imaging of neuroinflammation in migraine with aura. Neurology. 23 Apr 2019;92(17):e2038-e2050.
5 Yao X, et al. Inflammation and Immune System Alterations in Frailty. Clin Geriatr Med. Feb 2011;27(1):79-87.
6 Biscetti L, et al. The putative role of neuroinflammation in the complex pathophysiology of migraine: From bench to bedside. Neurobiology of disease. May 2023.
7 Arzani M, et al. Gut-brain Axis and migraine headache: a comprehensive review. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 13 Feb 2020;21(15).
8 Ulfer G, et al. Evaluation of zonulin levels in patients with migraine. BMC Neurology. 2025;25;46.
9 Lee-Kwan SH, et al. Disparities in State-Specific Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption-United States, 2015. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017 Nov 17;66(45):1241-1247.
10 Quagliani D and Felt-Gunderson P. Closing America’s Fiber Intake Gap. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Jan-Feb.11(1):80-85.
FAQs on Gut Health and Headaches
Can probiotics cause migraines or make migraines worse?
They may temporarily trigger headaches or migraines as they cause your body to eliminate toxins. This shouldn’t last more than a week, however.
Are migraines a gut disorder?
There is some evidence that links gut health to migraines. However, more research is needed to fully understand this relationship.
