Migraines aren’t just headaches, they may be your brain’s cry for fuel. Learn how insulin resistance affects your brain and how ketones may help.
Prefer to listen without the ads? Become a Ben Bikman Insider.
Migraines Might Be a Metabolic Problem
If you suffer from migraines, you’re not alone—millions around the world experience these debilitating headaches. But what if migraines are more than just a neurological disorder? What if they’re a symptom of something deeper—a sign that your metabolism isn’t working the way it should?
Emerging research in a field called metabolic psychiatry is uncovering just that. The connection between insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and brain health is becoming impossible to ignore.
What Is a Migraine, Really?
Migraines are more than just headaches. They’re complex neurological events that cause pulsing pain, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and even visual disturbances (called aura). Women are affected more often than men, partly due to hormone fluctuations.
But behind the pain is something more subtle: your brain’s energy supply is under stress.
Insulin Resistance and Brain Energy
Your brain uses a lot of energy—about 20% of your body’s total supply. It gets this energy from glucose, which must be transported into brain cells with the help of insulin. But if you’re insulin resistant, that process is disrupted.
The result? Your brain doesn’t get the fuel it needs. Neurons become overly sensitive and inflamed. This lowers the threshold for migraine attacks.
One study found that women with chronic migraines had significantly higher insulin resistance than those without. And triggers like high-carb meals, which spike blood sugar, often lead directly into migraine attacks.
Mitochondria: The Brain’s Power Plants
Mitochondria are the energy factories inside every cell. In people with migraines, these power plants don’t work well. Mitochondrial dysfunction means the brain can’t produce enough ATP (energy), and harmful free radicals build up, leading to more inflammation and sensitivity.
Research dating back to the 1920s shows this connection. And modern studies confirm it: mitochondrial dysfunction makes migraines worse.
Ketones: A Better Fuel for the Brain
If glucose isn’t working, what’s the alternative?
Ketones. When insulin is low, your body breaks down fat and produces ketones. These molecules provide clean-burning energy for the brain, even when insulin resistance is present.
Ketones also improve mitochondrial function, reduce inflammation, and calm overactive neurons—all key issues in migraine sufferers.
The Ketogenic Diet for Migraines
The ketogenic diet (high-fat, low-carb) has been studied for nearly 100 years as a therapy for brain disorders. In the 1920s and ’30s, multiple studies showed a significant drop in migraine attacks with this dietary approach.
Modern research backs it up. One study showed that a month on a ketogenic diet reduced migraine frequency by 80% for many patients. Even supplemental ketones (like beta-hydroxybutyrate) show promise in improving symptoms.
What You Can Do
If migraines are part of your life, consider exploring your metabolic health:
- Test your fasting insulin or HOMA-IR score
- Reduce high-glycemic foods that spike blood sugar
- Try a ketogenic or low-carb diet
- Support mitochondrial health with nutrients like CoQ10
- Consider exogenous ketones (like BHB) as a supplement
Migraines might be your body’s way of saying: “Fix your metabolism.”
10-Day Free Trial!
Start your journey toward better health today by taking control of your metabolic future, with the support you need for success.