A possible side effect of beer: headaches

Q. I have suffered from regular severe debilitating headaches for a few years. They don’t respond to medication.

After months of extensive (and often painful) experimentation, I discovered that they are due to beer! This was a huge surprise to me, since I was born in Milwaukee and enjoyed beer without headaches for 35-plus years before this started. Now, a single beer can cause a staggering headache lasting over 12 hours.

Not every beer does this: Guinness and some German beers are fine, but IPAs and craft beers are a problem. Internet research has unveiled other people who suffer from the same problem.

My doctor never heard of it. I have not seen the culprit identified. Dehydration is not the issue.

I am thrilled now that I have identified the root of the problem, but I’d like to know what ingredient is causing the problem. Then I could identify other beers to drink without further painful trial and error.

A. A review of the role of dietary factors in headaches clearly implicates beer as a trigger (Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, November 2016). Beer was far more likely to bring on a migraine than red wine. The authors suspect that the key ingredient in foods such as cheese, chocolate, red wine and beer that causes head-pain mischief is tyramine. It is more common in unpasteurized or tap beer. That’s because these beers continue to ferment in the bottle or keg. You may have to experiment to find safe beer for you.

Q. For years I had no insurance, so I took herbs to try to control my diabetes. I took Ceylon cinnamon, bitter melon, alpha-lipoic acid, ginger and other supplements.

About a year and a half ago, I was hospitalized for an unrelated illness. When they checked my HbA1c, it was 11.8. All those spices and supplements had not controlled my blood sugar at all!

A. Your story reinforces the importance of regular blood glucose measurements for people with diabetes. Relying on herbs, dietary supplements or even prescription drugs without close medical monitoring is a recipe for disaster.

Gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying) can lead to nausea, vomiting, bloating and stomach pain. Diabetic retinopathy can impair vision.

Q. I have osteoporosis and have read that magnesium helps the body absorb calcium. What kind of magnesium should I take, and how much? Is it better to take it morning or evening?

A. A recent study found that older people who got more than 400 mg of magnesium daily from their diets and supplements were less than half as likely to break a bone during eight years of follow-up than those who got only about 200 mg per day (British Journal of Nutrition, online, June 20, 2017). Women who met the recommended daily intake of magnesium (320 mg) were 27 percent less likely to suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis.

Magnesium citrate appears to be best absorbed. If you have good kidney function, you should be able to take up to 300 mg daily without a problem. You also can get magnesium from green leafy vegetables, whole grains and nuts.

(c) 2017 King Features Syndicate, Inc.