Can Drinking Tea Trigger Headaches?

20 mars

In Western societies, we all suffer from headaches. Among the grandmother's remedies available, tea is said to be excellent for soothing migraines. But is this really the case? To what extent, and for whom?

When the head plays tricks on us

Headaches refer to pain in the neck and brain. They can occur as a result of numerous pathologies (toothache, inflammation, etc.) or spontaneously (localized intracranial pressure, cerebral vascularization problems, etc.). The intensity of headache episodes, their frequency and treatment are defined in a nomenclature that separates illnesses into different categories such as migraines, tension headaches and cluster headaches.

Caffeine: ouch, ouch, ouch!

Caffeine, a molecule widely present in both coffee and tea, continues to provoke much debate in the scientific community. Indeed, caffeine is able to bind to adenosine receptors, which are responsible, among other things, for reducing neuronal excitation. However, the binding of caffeine will have an antagonistic effect on these receptors, meaning that caffeine will stimulate cerebral capacities (coordination of movement, reflection, less sleep, etc.).

The problems associated with caffeine arise from repeated, intense exposure to the molecule. Hyperstimulation of the central nervous system and changes in cerebral blood circulation appear to generate headaches. What's more, numerous clinical studies on people who consume too much have shown that they will develop a physical dependency similar to that of amphetamines and cocaine: they will become addicted to caffeine. Reducing or even abruptly stopping caffeine could lead to headaches as adenosine receptors are unblocked and physical dependence develops. So it's important to know whether tea has these negative effects or not.

The effects of tea on headaches are extremely unclear. While it is known that caffeine in high doses can cause headaches, and that stopping/decreasing caffeine intake can also cause headaches, tea is less likely to do so than coffee or chocolate, for example. Too few studies have been carried out to come to any conclusions, so the watchwords are: prevention and caution in relation to information found on the internet.