More research on vitamin D and migraine

November 6, 2023

There is growing evidence that vitamin D is important in the development and treatment of migraines. In the past 15 years, I have written a dozen posts on the role of vitamin D in migraines.

At the last meeting of the International Headache Society, Maria Papasavva and her Greek colleagues presented a study entitled, Genetic variability in vitamin D receptor and migraine susceptibility: a case-control study.

Their study aimed to investigate an association of three genetic variants of vitamin D receptor with the susceptibility to develop migraine. DNA sample was collected and extracted from 191 patients diagnosed with migraine and 265 headache-free subjects. According to their statistical analysis, a significant association between migraine susceptibility and abnormal variants of vitamin D receptors was found.  They also showed a significant association of two variants with migraine without aura. Their conclusion was that there is a clear association between migraine susceptibility and two vitamin D receptor variants. This further supports the role of vitamin D and its receptor in migraine.

Vitamin D is important not only for migraines but also for your immune system. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of COVID and other viral infections. Lower levels of vitamin D are associated with a higher risk of attacks of multiple sclerosis even if the level is still within normal range. There are many other reasons to maintain your blood vitamin D level at least in the middle of the normal range. The normal range is 30 to 100, so keep it well above 40. If your doctor tells you that your level is normal, ask for the actual number.

Written by
Alexander Mauskop, MD
Continue reading
August 8, 2026
Sugar is bad for your brain, even before you are born.
Sugar consumed in the first two years of life increases the risk of dementia.
Read article
August 6, 2026
Research
An Old Medicine that Could Make Brain Stimulation Work Better for Depression and Other Neurological Conditions
A 2022 clinical trial from the University of Calgary found that adding low‑dose D‑cycloserine (DCS), a partial NMDA‑receptor agonist, to intermittent theta‑burst stimulation (iTBS) significantly increased response and remission rates in depression without serious side effects. Early follow‑up data suggest that timing, dose, and drug levels matter, and raise the possibility that this DCS‑TMS approach could eventually be applied to other neurological conditions—such as migraine, postconcussion syndrome, brain fog, and long COVID
Read article
Insights from Dr. Alexander Mauskop on headaches and migraines
Subscribe to the Blog.
Subscribe
Subscribe