Migraine and Natural Supplements: What the Latest Research Says About Nanocurcumin and Alpha Lipoic Acid
Recent clinical research in people with migraine reported that two supplements: 1) Nanocurcumin + 2) Alpha lipoic acid
· reduced pain and inflammation
· improved quality of life
in people with migraine.
While they are not a cure and should not replace medical treatment, human studies in people with migraine have shown encouraging results, particularly when highly bioavailable forms are used.
What is migraine?
Migraine is much more than "just a headache." It is a chronic, complex neurovascular condition that affects about 15% of the population worldwide. Migraine causes recurring attacks of moderate to severe head pain, often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light, sound, or smells. For some people, migraines are preceded by an aura—temporary visual, sensory, or speech disturbances that act as a warning sign before the headache begins.
A migraine attack can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours, and the symptoms can significantly affect daily activities, work, and quality of life. While the exact cause is not fully understood, researchers believe migraine results from a combination of genetic, neurological, and environmental factors that influence pain pathways in the brain. Common triggers include stress, hormonal changes, poor sleep, dehydration, certain foods, and alcohol, although triggers vary from person to person.
Because migraine is a chronic neurological disorder rather than simply a headache, effective management often involves a combination of lifestyle measures, appropriate medical care, and, in some cases, evidence-based nutritional supplements. This growing interest in complementary approaches has led researchers to investigate ingredients such as nanocurcumin and alpha lipoic acid for their potential role in supporting migraine management.
Why Are Scientists Interested in Nutrition and specific nutrients for migraine
Although the exact causes of migraine are still unclear, critical risk factors for migraine attacks include:
- Oxidative stress
- Inflammation
- 3) Insulin resistance
- 4) Mitochondrial issues
- 5) Endothelial (blood vessel) issues
- 6) Neuroendocrine imbalances
Certain nutritional strategies, including food supplements can target and improve all 6 of these areas and hence may provide significant benefit to women with endometriosis.
At a Glance: What Does Human Research Show?
There are 19 human studies regarding nanocurcumin supplementation in people with migraine (not lab studies or studies in animals).
Across these 19 published human studies, nanocurcumin supplementation has consistently been associated with improvements in people living with migraine:
Some text +
Table or graphic (to be sharable)
Nanocurcumin supplementation in migraine:
- · Less migraines
- · Less severe migraine
- · Shorter migraines, when they did occur
- · Regulated immunity
- · Reduced inflammation
- · Beneficial changes in expression of migraine related genes
With these different clinical research studies in people with migraine concluding:
· ‘Nanocurcumin can be considered as an efficient therapy in migraine management.’
· ‘Nanocurcumin supplementation improved the pro-inflammatory markers and clinical features of migraine headaches and that could be contributed to could be to its anti-inflammatory properties’
· ‘Nanocurcumin can be a promising approach to migraine management’
· ‘Nano-curcumin supplement can be considered as a promising approach to migraine management and clinical symptoms improvement’
· ‘Treatment with nano-curcumin could induce anti-inflammatory effects in patients with migraine’
A recent scientific review concluded:
‘Curcumin is a promising candidate for preventing and controlling migraine due to its anti‑inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-protein aggregate, and analgesic effects’
In addition, there are 6 human studies regarding alpha lipoic acid supplementation in people with migraine (not lab studies or studies in animals).
Across these 6 published human studies, alpha lipoic acid supplementation has consistently been associated with improvements in migraine . 3 of these studies were in adults while 2 of these studies was in adolescents.
Alpha Lipoic Acid supplementation in migraine had the following benefits:
· Less migraines
· Less severe migraine
· Shorter migraines, when they did occur
· Less depression, anxiety, and stress in people with migraine
· Decreased oxidative stress
· Decreased inflammation
· Decreased CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide migraine) – CGRP increases during a migraine and promotes inflammation so a decrease is a good thing!
· Improved mitochondrial function
· Improved blood vessel function
· Synergistic with migraine medications (i.e. flunarizine, topiramate) i.e. topiramate has benefits but adding alpha lipoic acid to topiramate is even more beneficial
A 2015 scientific review examined the link between oxidative stress and migraine and reported:
‘Novel treatment approaches may be developed based on these data, and compounds containing such as alpha lipoic acid may be used in migraine prevention’.
With different studies in people with migraine concluding:
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid may be beneficial in migraine prevention’
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid may be associated with a reduction in the number of migraine attacks and the days of treatment in migraineurs’
‘We conclude that combined topiramate/alpha lipoic acid therapy is more effective and better tolerated than topiramate alone’
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid supplementation for 3 months has beneficial effects on improving the oxidative, inflammatory, and mood conditions of patients suffering from episodic migraine’
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid supplementation can be considered a potential adjunct treatment in patients with migraine due to its improving mitochondrial and endothelial (blood vessel) functions and clinical symptoms.
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid with flunarizine as a preventative agent for migraine in adolescents can improve clinical outcomes by improving clinical and biochemical parameters’
At Phytaphix, we know the science!
That’s why we’ve built the Migra bundle
Our Evidence-Based Migra Bundle
Graphic of the below (to be easily understood + sharable)
Gold Standard Curcumin: 80mg nanocurcumin with essential micronutrients (including 400mcg methylfolate, vitamin B12 + vitamin D3 )
· Delivers highly bioavailable nanocurcumin
· One capsule daily, with food
Lipoic Acid Phix: 300mg R-alpha lipoic acid with ginger extract and essential micronutrients
· Delivers naturally occurring R-alpha lipoic acid
· One capsule daily, anytime
Omega 3 Phix
· Delivers highly bioavailable omega 3 and DHA
· One soft gel daily, with food
· Gold Standard Curcumin – one capsule daily
· Lipoic Acid Phix – one capsule daily
Omega 3 Phix – one solft gel daily
For the scientific details, see below:
Curcumin and migraine
Laboratory and animal studies have consistently shown that curcumin influences many of the biological processes involved in endometriosis.
Research suggests curcumin may help:
· Pain relief
· Increased antioxidant defence
· Less flinches and shakes (indicating migraine)
These findings are encouraging because migraine is characterised by pain and oxidative stress.
However, laboratory research alone does not prove that a supplement will work in people. So what does the human research show?
Curcumin supplementation in people with migraine
As of writing, there are NO studies examining turmeric or curcumin supplementation in people with migraine. So taking turmeric or even curcumin supplements is unlikely to help migraine.
The Problem with Standard Curcumin
One of the biggest challenges with conventional curcumin supplements is that very little is absorbed after it is swallowed.
This poor absorption means that although curcumin has impressive biological activity in laboratory studies, much less reaches the bloodstream and tissues in humans where it can have benefit.
This may help explain why clinical studies using standard curcumin have often produced disappointing results.
Nanocurcumin: A Better Form of Curcumin
Nanocurcumin is designed to overcome one of the biggest limitations of conventional curcumin by dramatically improving its absorption.
Because the curcumin particles are much smaller, more of the active compound can reach the bloodstream and the tissues where it is needed and can have benefit.
This improved bioavailability has led researchers to investigate whether nanocurcumin may produce better clinical outcomes from standard curcumin.
Nanocurcumin and other brain issues
- nanocurcumin and Multiple sclerosis
Nanocurcumin and inflammation
But about what nanocurcumin and migraine?
Clinical Research on Nanocurcumin and migraine
…
Alpha Lipoic acid and migraine
A detailed lab study in 2021 published in the science journals: Molecules, reported: Alpha Lipoic Acid treatment reduces cellular adhesion and invasion (in other words, less endometriosis cells and less spreading of those cells), concluding that: 'These results provide convincing evidence that alpha lipoic acid might inhibit endometriosis progression'
The Problem with Standard Alpha Lipoic Acid
Most food supplements use artificially produced lipoic acid as it’s easier to manufacture with but standard alpha lipoic cid
· Artificially manufactured
· Not naturally occurring
· Not great absorption or biological activity
R-alpha Lipoic Acid: A Better Form of Lipoic Acid
The R form of Alphia Lipoic Acid has multiple benefits:
· The naturally occurring form
· Better absorption
· More biologically active
· Better health effects
· Better tolerance i.e. less side effects
Clinical Research on alpha lipoic acid and migraine
Across these 6 published human studies, alpha lipoic acid supplementation has consistently been associated with improvements in migraine . 3 of these studies were in adults while 2 of these studies was in adolescents.
Study Snapshot 1
Participants
Adults with migraine (with and without aura)
Intervention
600mg alpha lipoic acid
12 weeks
Researchers found
Less migraine
Less severe migraines
Very safe
This study was run by the Belgian Headache Society.
The authors concluded that:
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid may be beneficial in migraine prevention’
Study Snapshot 2
Participants
40 secondary school migraineur girls treated with topiramate
Intervention
Topiramate along vs. topiramate + 300mg alpha lipoic acid
Researchers found
topiramate + alpha lipoic acid was more effective for
Less migraine
Less severe migraines
Very safe
The authors concluded that:
‘alpha lipoic acid supplementation for 3 months has beneficial effects on improving the oxidative, inflammatory, and mood conditions of patients suffering from episodic migraine’
Study Snapshot 3
Participants
32 adults with migraine
Intervention
400mg twice per day
6 months
In addition to on-going treatment from the Headache Center at San Lazzaro Hospital in Italy
Researchers found
People with a reduction of over 50% of their migraine attacks was
at 2 months
at 4 months
at 6 months
The number of days where treatment was required decreased from
7.7
5.4 (2m)
5.3 (4m)
4.3 (6m)
The authors concluded that:
‘administration of alpha lipoic acid was associated with a reduction in the number of attacks and the days of treatment in migraineurs’
Study Snapshot 4
Participants
90 women with episodic migraine
Intervention
300mg alpha lipoic acid twice daily
12 weeks
Researchers found
Decreased depression
Decreased anxiety
Decreased stress
Decreased oxidative stress
Decreased inflammation
The researchers concluded that:
‘Alpha Lipoic Acid supplementation for 3 months has beneficial effects on improving the oxidative, inflammatory, and mood conditions of patients suffering from episodic migraine’
Study Snapshot 5
Participants
90 women with episodic migraine
Intervention
300mg alpha lipoic acid twice daily
Researchers found
Reduced migraine frequency
Reduced migraine severity
Improved mitochondrial function
Improved blood vessel function
The researchers concluded that:
Alpha Lipoic Acid supplementation can be considered a potential adjunct treatment in patients with migraine due to its improving mitochondrial and endothelial functions and clinical symptoms.
Study Snapshot 6
Participants
60 adolescent migraineurs, taking flunarizine
Intervention
flunarizine alone or flunarizine with Alpha Lipoic Acid
Researchers found
Reduced migraine frequency
Reduced migraine severity
Reduced oxidative stress
Reduce CGRP (CGRP increases during a migraine and promotes inflammation so a decrease is a good thing)
The researchers concluded that:
‘Add-on Alpha Lipoic Acid with flunarizine as a preventative agent for migraine in adolescents can improve clinical outcomes by improving clinical and biochemical parameters’
What Does the Current Evidence Tell Us?
Human studies in both adolescents and adults with migraine have shown
· Less migraines
· Less severe migraine
· Shorter migraines, when they did occur
· Less depression, anxiety, and stress in people with migraine
· Decreased oxidative stress
· Decreased inflammation
· Improved mitochondrial function
· blood vessel function
· Synergistic with migraine medications (i.e. flunarizine, topiramate) i.e. topiramate has benefits but adding alpha lipoic acid to topiramate is even more beneficial
Why Choose Lipoic Acid Phix?
✓One capsule daily
✓ Superior form of alpha lipoic acid (R Alpha Lipic Acid)
✓Research based dose
✓ Formulated by nutrition expert, Dr. Conor Kerley
✓ Enriched with ginger extract
✓Essential 6 micronutrients
These findings regarding nanocurumin and alpha lipoic acid for migraine are encouraging but come from early studies. Larger clinical trials would be welcomed. Current evidence suggests that nanocurcumin and alpha lipoic acid are both safe AND beneficial in migraine. However, supplements should complement, not replace, the treatment plan recommended by your healthcare professional.
