What can possibly be good about migraines that cause so much pain and discomfort? Actually, migraines turned out to have a very important role in our brain. According to a recent study, migraine can be seen as a protective response to oxidative stress, caused by a lack of energy in our brain.

The study explains that our brain regulates our energy production by balancing the level of antioxidant defense with the amount of energy produced and vice versa. The lack of energy can be due to either increased demand of energy by the brain or decreased energy production by the powerhouses of our cells (mitochondria). Both cases of energy deficit create oxidative stress, which causes migraine attacks in susceptible people via oxidant-sensing ion channels in the pain receptors sited in the membrane that covers the brain.

The brain responds to these migraine attacks by reducing brain energy demands, increasing the renewal of mitochondria, suppressing death of neurons, releasing varied growth factors, stimulating the formation of new neurons, reducing the production of oxidants and raising the levels of antioxidant defense. That is why the migraine attacks can be seen as a corrective reponse that take place to protect our brain from oxidative stress and energy imbalance.

It means that if you are migraine sufferer, you might benefit from migraine prevention therapies that treat brain energy deficit and minimize oxidative stress. Until then, the next time you have an attack, think about the positive role of migraine. It could make your pain less severe…

Curious? HERE is the source