Common Migraine Triggers: The Top Triggers to Watch For

Written and verified by Holly Hazen

Understanding the most common migraine triggers can help you narrow down what might be contributing to your attacks.

Migraine triggers can feel frustratingly unpredictable. What causes an attack for one person may have no effect on someone else. Still, research and clinical experience show that certain triggers appear again and again among people living with migraine.

Some triggers are relatively easy to avoid, while others — like hormones, weather changes, or sleep disruption — can be much harder to control.

Below we’ll explore the most commonly reported migraine triggers and how you can start identifying the ones that affect you personally.

How Common Migraine Triggers Work

Migraine is a neurological condition involving complex changes in brain chemistry, nerve signaling, and blood vessel regulation.

Triggers do not “cause” migraine disease itself. Instead, they lower the brain’s threshold, making it easier for an attack to begin.

Many different factors can contribute to this process, including:

• food and dietary ingredients

• caffeine or alcohol intake

• stress or emotional changes

• sleep disruption

• dehydration

• environmental stimuli such as smells or smoke
  
  

For many people, migraine attacks occur when multiple triggers combine together, rather than from a single trigger alone.

The Top 10 Common Migraine Triggers

Headache specialist Dr. David Buchholz identified several common food triggers that frequently appear in migraine patients.

From my own research and experience working with migraine sufferers, these triggers appear often enough that they are worth testing first.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the most complex migraine triggers.

For some people caffeine can help stop a migraine when taken early. For others it can trigger attacks — especially if intake fluctuates.

Common sources include:

• coffee
  

• tea

• cola

• energy drinks
  
  

Sudden caffeine withdrawal can also trigger headaches.

2. Chocolate

Chocolate contains small amounts of compounds that influence neurotransmitters in the brain. Some people find chocolate reliably triggers migraine attacks, while others tolerate it without problems.

3. Nuts

Some migraine sufferers report attacks triggered by nuts or nut butters. Walnuts appear most often in trigger reports, although reactions vary widely.

4. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

MSG is a flavor enhancer used in many processed foods and restaurant meals.

It can appear in ingredient lists under several different names including:

• hydrolyzed vegetable protein

• yeast extract

• textured protein
  
  

Reading labels carefully can help you avoid hidden sources.

→ Click here to read all the hidden names for MSG.

5. Nitrates and Nitrites

These preservatives are often found in processed meats such as:

• deli meats

• hot dogs

• bacon

• smoked meats
  
  

They are commonly reported migraine triggers.

6. Aged Dairy Products

Certain cheeses contain compounds such as tyramine that may trigger migraine in sensitive individuals.

Aged cheeses are more likely to cause problems than fresh cheeses.

7. Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the most frequently reported migraine triggers.

Red wine appears particularly problematic for many people due to compounds such as tannins and sulfites.

→ You can read more about this here: Another Migraine Food Trigger: Tannins

8. Certain Fruits and Vegetables

Some fruits and vegetables occasionally reported as migraine triggers include:

• citrus fruits and juices

• bananas

• dried fruit like raisins

• avocados

• onions
  
  

These foods are not triggers for everyone but may be worth testing if you suspect a pattern.

9. Yeast and Freshly Baked Goods

Some people report migraine attacks triggered by yeast-containing foods, particularly freshly baked breads or sourdough products.

10. Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are sometimes reported as migraine triggers.

Because they are commonly found in diet drinks and processed foods, reducing or eliminating them may help some individuals.

Hidden Ingredients That Can Trigger Migraine

Many migraine triggers are not obvious at first glance. Certain ingredients can appear under multiple names on food labels.

For example, MSG may appear as:

• glutamic acid

• yeast extract

• hydrolyzed protein

• sodium caseinate
  
  

If you suspect MSG sensitivity, learning these hidden names can make avoiding it easier.

Why Food Triggers Vary Between People

One of the most confusing aspects of migraine is that triggers vary so widely between individuals.

A food that reliably triggers attacks for one person may be completely harmless for someone else.

Possible reasons include:

• genetic differences

• gut microbiome differences

• histamine sensitivity

• differences in metabolism
  
  

Because of this variability, identifying personal triggers usually requires careful observation and experimentation.

Tracking your food, supplements, and migraine symptoms can make it much easier to identify patterns.

That’s why I created the 8-Week Food & Supplement Testing Journal — a guided system with weekly prompts that build on each other, using beneficial foods, supplements and other fun changes that helps you test, track and monitor migraine symptoms while you test potential triggers.

→ Look inside the 8-Week Food & Supplement testing plan

How to Identify Your Personal Migraine Triggers

How to Identify Your Personal Migraine Triggers

The most reliable way to identify triggers is through systematic tracking.

Many people find it helpful to:

• keep a migraine diary

• record meals and snacks

• track sleep patterns

• note stress levels

• observe early warning signs
  
  

Over time this information can reveal patterns between triggers and attacks.

You can also explore a structured approach here:

→ Migraine Elimination Diet

Pinpoint Your Migraine Triggers More Clearly

Migraine Triggers Tracker

If you are struggling to understand what triggers your migraine attacks, simple tracking can make a huge difference. Many attacks are caused by a combination of factors that build over time, which makes them difficult to recognize without writing things down.

Using a focused migraine trigger tracker helps you start connecting daily patterns with migraine symptoms so you can gradually identify what may be contributing to your attacks.

My migraine trigger tracker can help you:

• notice possible trigger combinations

• recognize patterns in your migraine cycle

• see how treatments or lifestyle changes affect your attacks

• create clearer records to discuss with your doctor
  
  

If you want a simple way to begin understanding your migraine patterns, structured trigger tracking is a powerful place to start.

→ Start identifying your migraine triggers

Final Thoughts

While lists of common migraine triggers can be helpful, they are only a starting point.

Migraine triggers are highly individual, and the most important step is identifying the specific factors that influence your own attacks.

With careful observation, tracking, and experimentation, many people living with migraine can gradually build strategies that reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.

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