Nutraceuticals for the treatment of migraine prophylaxis

Headache is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system. Headache is further classified into migraine, tension-type headache, and cluster headache. Migraine occurs in about 12% of people age 12 and older in the United States (17% of women and 6% of men). It is about three times more common in women than men. It is estimated that every 10 seconds someone in the United States goes to the emergency room with a migraine or headache due to the excruciating pain, severe nausea or dehydration, drug interactions, or side effects from headache medications. In recent years there has been a growing interest and demand from the public for ‘natural’ treatments such as vitamins and supplements in trying to control migraine headaches. A variety of natural supplements, vitamins and herbal preparations have been promoted as having efficacy in migraine prophylaxis. This mini-review analyzes the various natural and herbal therapies for the prophylaxis and treatment of migraine.