Can Salt Stop A Migraine?

Don’t be too hasty in consigning salt to the dietary sin-bin – it turns out it could actually be good for you.

- Natalia Lubomirski

Salt – it’s often given a bad rap, and it’s blamed for increasing blood pressure and elevating our risk of heart attacks and strokes. But is it actually an important part of our diet? according to nutritionist Sonia Pombo, the answer is yes. ‘We all need a bit of salt in our diets for our bodies to function properly,’ she says. Now, new reports have gone one step further and suggest it could be a key remedy in helping us tackle migraines, too. Maybe our favourite flavour enhancer is about to become more friend than foe.

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The latest natural cure to be making the rounds on social media and online news channels is salt water. It’s been suggested as the new drug-free solution for managing migraines, but how much truth is there really behind this table salt treatment? ‘Salt might be able to help a migraine if it’s triggered by dehydration as a result of fluid loss through vomiting or simply lack of fluid intake,’ explains Dr Riccardo Di Cuffa, who is a Gp. After all, if you’ve ever been to the emergency room and treated for dehydration you’re immediately put on an IV fluid drip containing a mix of water, sodium (salt) and sometimes dextrose (sugar).