In Germany, doctors are recommending a natural extract from the herb butterbur to those who suffer from regular episodes of head cavity discomfort. In clinical trials in both Germany and the United States, butterbur reduced the incidence of head cavity discomforts by up to 61%. Butterbur's principal active constituent, petasin, reduces smooth muscle spasms and helps relax the constriction of cerebral blood vessels. Butterbur's ability to relax constricted arteries and smooth muscle may help control head cavity discomfort. Life Extension's new
Migra-Eeze™ contains butterbur root extract standardized to provide 22.5 mg of petasins with each daily dose of two softgels. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) and ginger are included based on the ability of these nutrients to exert functional changes that may also guard against head cavity discomforts.
Maintaining a healthy balance between
magnesium and
calcium is central to Life Extension's approach to migraine. Studies have shown that up to 50 percent of migraine patients suffer from
magnesium deficiencies during an acute attack.
Magnesium infusions have led to fast and continuous relief of migraine symptoms, possibly by reducing the brain's hyperexcitability. Several double- blind trials showed that oral magnesium supplementation may either reduce the frequency of migraine attacks or decrease the number of headache days. These results may be due to magnesium's ability to rebalance the
calcium/magnesium ratio in the brain, thus offsetting the excitability caused by excess
calcium in the intracellular space.
Several studies have demonstrated effectiveness of
coenzyme Q10 in reducing the frequency of migraine headaches.A clinical trial of 31 patients reported a significant reduction in the average number of days with migraine after three months of treatment. Migraine frequency also fell significantly, from 4.85 attacks to 2.81. The administered dose was 150 mg daily.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 42 patients compared
coenzyme Q10 at 100 mg three times a day with placebo. Participants were randomized to either placebo or
coenzyme Q10 for three months.
Coenzyme Q10 significantly decreased migraine attack frequency (=50 percent reduction) in 47.6 percent of patients, compared with 14.4 percent of patients on placebo. In addition,
coenzyme Q10 seemed to decrease headache days and days with nausea better than placebo.
Riboflavin (vitamin B 2) has been used as a prophylactic measure for migraine. An open-label, pilot study of 49 participants (45 with common migraine and 4 with classic migraine) was conducted in Liege, Belgium. Participants were given 400 mg of riboflavin as a single oral dose dailyfor at least three months. Treatment resulted in mean global improvement of 68.2 percent. It was concluded that high-dose riboflavin may have a role in migraine prophylaxis due to its efficacy, short-term lack of side effects, and relatively low cost.
A follow-up trial studied 55 migraine patients.Riboflavin at 400 mg daily or placebo was given for three months. Statistically significant reductions in frequency of migraine episodes and headache days were observed with riboflavin compared with placebo. The authors concluded that riboflavin was an efficacious, safe, and cost-effective option for migraine prophylaxis.
Another recently conducted, open-label study in Germany found that administration of 400 mg riboflavin daily significantly reduced frequency of migraine headaches and the use of abortive medications after three months and after six months of treatment.The authors concluded that their findings were similar to those of other investigators and that riboflavin was a well-tolerated and effective prophylactic agent for migraine.
Further studies performed in Liege, Belgium, reported that the combination of beta-blockers and riboflavin may augment their clinical efficacy without enhancing adverse events.