Ramen can trigger migraines, especially in sensitive people.
Migraines can be triggered by eating ramen noodles, mainly due to the specific ingredients that are commonly found in the noodles, broth and seasonings of ramen.
The exact triggers of the ramen for migraines can vary from person to person, but both instant ramen and restaurant ramen contain several well known neurological irritants, which can trigger migraines in people.
The main migraine triggers of ramen noodles include, MSG or Monosodium Glutamate, High Sodium Content, Tyramine and Histamine and the Wheat and Gluten.
The ramen noodles themselves are wheat based noodles and for people with gluten sensitivity or wheat allergies, the systemic inflammation that is caused by digestion can act as a systemic trigger for migraines.
Traditional ramen noodle ingredients like miso, so sauce and fermented toppings, like kimchi or bamboo shoots are also aged and fermented.
And these ingredients contain tyramine and histamine, which also interact with your vascular system and also frequently spark headaches that can be intense.
Also a single package of ramen noodles also contains a massive dose of salt.
And eating high amounts of sodium in these ramen noodles can spike your blood pressure or even alter your fluid balance, which can lead to dehydration like headache responses.
Many commercial and instant ramen noodle brands also use MSG, which is also known as monosodium glutamate and the MSG or Monosodium Glutamate is a neuro excitatory chemical.
And in people that have sensitive brain receptors, excessive glutamate intake can overstimulate your nerve cells and cause blood vessels to widen and initiate and cause a migraine.
To reduce the risk of developing a headache when eating ramen noodles, avoid using the flavor packet as the powdered seasoning packet for ramen is the main source of the MSG and sodium.
Instead make your own quick broth by using some low sodium , MSG free bouillon cubes.
And swap the soy sauce if using soy sauce, and use coconut aminos as a lower tyramine substitute.
Also drink more water to flush out the high sodium load, when eating ramen.