Why do you crave a large Coke and French fries when you have a migraine? Experts talk about the ultimate migraine remedy
Many people who suffer from headaches use over-the-counter headache medicines or prescription medications to relieve the pain, but some people say that they were cured by eating a large Coke and french fries. At first glance, this may seem like a strange life hack, but it's actually not that far off the mark, and a neuroscientist has explained why.
Why your migraine might be making you crave a large Coke and fries
On May 16, 2025, a female X (formerly Twitter) user posted, 'Tomorrow, I want to go kiss the girl at the drug store who told me that McDonald's French fries and a full fat Coke (slang for a non-diet Coke) will cure my migraine. You really helped me!'
Whichever girl in Superdrug told me that McDonald's fries and full fat coke gets rid of a migraine, I'm coming back to lips you tomorrow.
— AOIFE. 🪽🪽 (@aoife10x) May 15, 2025
You've saved me 😭
According to Amanda Ellison, a professor of neuroscience at Durham University in the UK, this isn't complete nonsense: First, the caffeine in cola acts as a vasoconstrictor, reducing the dilation of blood vessels that is the primary trigger for migraines.
When blood vessels dilate, they put pressure on nearby pain nerves, especially the trigeminal nervous system , which transmits touch, pain, and temperature, causing a throbbing headache. For this reason, many over-the-counter headache medications contain caffeine.
What's more, the sugar and salt in the cola and french fries may help restore blood sugar and electrolyte balance, which can be disrupted during a migraine. To understand why this is the case, you first need to know four processes that make a migraine different from a normal headache.
◆1: Prodromal symptoms
The first stage, prodrome, begins a few hours or a few days before a migraine and includes symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and unusually depressed mood.
Because migraines are often caused by disruptions to the nervous system, when prodromal symptoms appear, people unconsciously try to restore balance to their nervous system. For example, people may yawn more to stimulate the secretion of dopamine, or seek hugs and touch to increase serotonin. Some people may drink ice water to calm their autonomic nervous system, while others may reach for a cola and french fries.
According to Ellison, this prodromal period is actually the best time to take action, and chocolate is what he calls the 'ultimate migraine remedy.'
Chocolate is rich in compounds that help increase serotonin levels, which can help counteract the decline in serotonin that is the main trigger for migraines. For some people, eating a small amount of chocolate in the early stages can even prevent a migraine attack.
◆2: Aura
In the later stages of the pre-stage, intense electrical activity occurs in the brain, which then slows down, changing blood flow and narrowing blood vessels. This can cause people to see flashing lights or experience a strange tingling sensation. About 80% of migraine sufferers don't experience this 'aura phase,' but the same thing is happening in their brains.
◆3: Pain
When the constricted blood vessels expand in reaction, the expanded blood vessels activate pain receptors, causing the throbbing pain characteristic of a migraine.
When a pain attack strikes, food is the last thing on your mind, so many people turn to
◆4: Post-headache symptoms (postdrome)
Postdrome occurs in up to 80% of cases after a migraine attack and can cause symptoms similar to a classic hangover, including nausea, fatigue, dehydration, body aches and brain fog.
For many people, the prolonged post-migraine process is as painful, slow and exhausting as the migraine itself. In general, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for a person to go through all four stages of a migraine.
Summary
Thus, in the most important early stage of the migraine process, your body may crave certain foods or drinks to cope with the changes occurring in your brain. Because there is a large degree of individual variation, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but for some people, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure with cola and French fries can prevent or alleviate the symptoms of migraines caused by the rapid contraction and expansion of blood vessels in the brain.
'When you have a migraine, you crave chocolate, cold water, a Coke, French fries, or a hug, and the rest of your body is trying to protect you, and the science behind it is behind it,' Ellison said. 'By developing your own treatment based on your brain's responses, you can get ahead of the pain.'
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