A Combination of Curcumin and CoQ10 Decrease the Severity and Frequency of Chronic Migraines

by | Mar 14, 2022 | 2021, CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10), Curcumin, Headaches

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Study findings demonstrate the combined effects of curcumin and CoQ10 supplementation on improved quality and reduced severity and occurrence for participants suffering from chronic migraines.

headacheMigraines affect over one billion people around the world annually and is the sixth most common cause of disability globally 1. This neurological disorder leads to head pain and other various symptoms such as nausea, visual sensory disorders, and sensitivity to light 2. They are characterized by multiple phases: premonitory, aura, headache, postdrome, and interictal 3. The onset of a migraine involves activation and sensitization of the trigeminovascular system, releasing pro-inflammatory neuropeptides and neurotransmitters 4 . Past research has shifted the view of migraines as a variable disorder of nervous system function rather than simply being a vascular headache 5.

Various supplements have been studied for their potential therapeutic treatment for migraine severity, such as curcumin and CoQ10. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol compound and active component of the herb turmeric. Curcumin may offer benefits to migraine sufferers due to its anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to relieve neurogenic pain by down-regulating inflammatory mediator expression 6. The coenzyme Q10 is a robust antioxidant that acts against inflammatory markers of migraines along reduction of expression cytokines 7. CoQ10 has been used in migraine prevention because of its role in sustaining mitochondrial energy stores, with migraine suffers often experiencing mitochondrial energy deficiency in the brain 8.

In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, Parohan et al. examined the role of curcumin (specifically using Sina-Curcumin, a nano-micellar curcumin) and CoQ10 supplementation on the severity and frequency of migraine symptoms for participants suffering from episodic migraines. 100 subjects (female= 73, male= 27), mean age 32 years, with a history of migraine symptoms for more than one year with at least two attacks per month, were included in this three-month study. Month one consisted of a run-in period in which participants used a migraine diary to measure response to treatment by documenting the severity, length, and frequency of migraine attacks. Anthropometric measurements were taken, physical activity levels were evaluated, and subjects also completed three 24-h dietary recalls at the beginning of the study and at the end of the fourth and eighth week. Participants also completed three valid questionnaires: the Migraine-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (MSQ), the Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) and the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) to better understand the migraines interference with daily life. After the run-in period, 91 subjects were randomly assigned to four age-and sex-matched supplement groups.

Group 1 (n=23)80 mg nano-curcumin/day (single dose)
Group 2 (n=24)300 mg CoQ10/day (3 equal doses of 100 mg)
Group 3 (n=23)80 mg nano-curcumin/day & 300 mg CoQ10
Group 4 (n=23)Placebo capsules

After two months of supplementation, the results are as follows:

  • Within-group analysis showed a significant reduction in frequency, length and headache diary result within four groups (p<0.001).
  • Severity of migraine attacks only showed a significant reduction in treatment groups (p<0.001), with a significant increase in control from baseline to the trial’s end (p<0.05).
  • Between-group analysis showed significant reduction in frequency of migraine attacks (p=0.002) in nano-curcumin and CoQ10 group compared to nano-curcumin group after two months of supplementation.
  • Within-group comparison resulted in a significant reduction in MIDAS (p<0.001) and HIT-6 (p<0.001) scores in all groups, along with a significant increase in MSQ (p<0.001), which lead to an improvement in quality of life for participants.

In conclusion, although all supplement groups showed a reduction in MIDAS and HIT-6 scores, supplementation with both nano-curcumin and CoQ10 resulted in the greatest reduction of scores and the highest improvements in MSQ scores, leading to participants having lessened severity and frequency of migraines and an improved quality of life. Study limitations include a lack of budget resulting in no measurements being recorded for serum levels of nano-curcumin and CoQ10. Further research should explore the combined anti-inflammatory effects offered by the combined supplementation of nano-curcumin and CoQ10.

Source:  Parohan, Mohammad, Payam Sarraf, Mohammad Hassan Javanbakht, Abbas Rahimi Foroushani, Sakineh Ranji-Burachaloo, and Mahmoud Djalali. “The synergistic effects of nano-curcumin and coenzyme Q10 supplementation in migraine prophylaxis: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.” Nutritional neuroscience 24, no. 4 (2021): 317-326.

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Posted March 14, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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