巧克力會引發(fā)頭痛嗎

If someone asked you to describe a headache, a one-size-fits-all answer would be hard to pin down. That's because headaches can be experienced differently by everyone. For some, a headache can feel sharp and jarring, while for others it can feel like a slow, growing throbbing sensation (via Mayo Clinic). A headache can last mere minutes or for days, but despite the differences, all headaches can be classified as pain experienced anywhere within the head.

如果有人讓你描述一種頭痛，很難給出一個通用的答案。這是因?yàn)槊總€人對頭痛的感受都不一樣。對一些人來說，頭痛會讓人感覺尖銳刺耳，而對另一些人來說，它可能是一種緩慢的、不斷增長的搏動感。頭痛可能只持續(xù)幾分鐘，也可能持續(xù)幾天，但盡管存在這些差異，所有頭痛都可以被歸類為頭部任何部位的疼痛。

When it comes to what causes headaches, the reasons can be just as varied as the headaches themselves. Most headaches are caused by a stiffening of the neck and head muscles, otherwise known as tension headaches (via Harvard Health Publishing). These headaches can be prompted by hunger, stress, sleep deprivation, or even changes in the weather. Migraines, while similar to headaches, are a result of pain generated by hypersensitive nerve endings in the brain, and are often experienced as a more severe form of a headache. Migraines may be brought on by smoke or bright lights, as well as some food items such as cheese, avocados, peanut butter, and sour cream. Is chocolate also one such food item to avoid?

說起引起頭痛的原因，可能就像頭痛本身一樣多種多樣。大多數(shù)頭痛是由頸部和頭部肌肉僵硬引起的，也被稱為緊張性頭痛。這些頭痛可能由饑餓、壓力、睡眠不足，甚至天氣變化引起。偏頭痛與頭痛類似，是由大腦中神經(jīng)末梢高度敏感而產(chǎn)生的疼痛，通常是一種更嚴(yán)重的頭痛形式。煙或強(qiáng)光，以及奶酪、牛油果、花生醬和酸奶油等食物都可能引起偏頭痛。巧克力也是要避免的食物之一嗎?

Different ingredients may improve or worsen a headache

不同的成分可能會改善或加重頭痛

In a 2020 review published in the scientific journal Nutrients, researchers investigated patient claims of chocolate being the top food trigger for their migraines by examining a series of past studies. Evidence as to whether chocolate is the direct cause of a headache was not significant enough to definitely determine. However, experts believe that certain ingredients in chocolate, such as caffeine, could be a contributing factor (via Healthline). An additional ingredient found in chocolate, beta-phenylethylamine, has been shown to impact cerebral blood flow, demonstrating a potential link to the onset of migraines (via American Academy of Neurology).

在2020年發(fā)表在科學(xué)雜志《營養(yǎng)》(nutrition)上的一篇綜述中，研究人員通過查閱過去的一系列研究，調(diào)查了患者聲稱巧克力是引發(fā)偏頭痛的首要食物的說法。關(guān)于巧克力是否是頭痛的直接原因的證據(jù)還不足以確定。然而，專家認(rèn)為，巧克力中的某些成分，如咖啡因，可能是一個誘因。在巧克力中發(fā)現(xiàn)的另一種成分-苯乙胺已經(jīng)被證明會影響大腦血液流動，這表明它與偏頭痛的發(fā)作有潛在的聯(lián)系。

On the other hand, chocolate also contains cocoa, an ingredient that experts at the National Headache Foundation believe may actually help relieve headaches. Based on study findings, study author Paul Durham of Missouri State University's Center for Biomedical & Life Sciences states, "Our data is the first evidence to support that diets enriched in cocoa increase proteins that prevent your nerve cells from becoming excited and releasing inflammatory molecules that are thought to be involved in migraine pathology."

另一方面，巧克力也含有可可，國家頭痛基金會的專家認(rèn)為這種成分實(shí)際上可能有助于緩解頭痛。根據(jù)研究結(jié)果，研究作者、密蘇里州立大學(xué)生物醫(yī)學(xué)與生命科學(xué)中心的保羅·達(dá)勒姆表示，“我們的數(shù)據(jù)是第一個證明富含可可的飲食可以增加蛋白質(zhì)的證據(jù)，這些蛋白質(zhì)可以防止神經(jīng)細(xì)胞變得興奮和釋放炎癥分子，而這些分子被認(rèn)為與偏頭痛有關(guān)。”

While migraine sufferers will respond differently to different types of foods, the National Headache Foundation does not recommend chocolate treats as a means of symptom relief, due to the fact that the cocoa content is minimal, and instead, the caffeine and tyramine present will likely stimulate a headache.

雖然偏頭痛患者對不同類型的食物會有不同的反應(yīng)，但國家頭痛基金會并不推薦巧克力治療作為緩解癥狀的方法，因?yàn)榭煽珊孔畹停喾?，咖啡因和酪胺可能會刺激頭痛。