Why doctors warn against claims of rabri-jalebi helping ease migraine

According to Dr Khatri, dawn is associated with vata (air and space elements) which leads to pain. As jalebi and rabri are “kaphavardhaka aahar“, or bring balance to the doshas, they help combat migraine-related headaches. “Have hot jalebi with rabri. But only continue for 1-3 weeks,” he recommended.

However, people with diabetes or those who are lactose intolerant should avoid it completely, he added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dr.Khatri’s Shashwat Ayurvedam (@vaidya_mihir_khatri)

So, does the combination help?

No, say health experts. Dr Sudhir Kumar, neurologist, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad told indianexpress.com that there is no rationale in recommending sweets such as rabri or jalebi in mornings (on waking up) to patients suffering from migraine.

“In fact, it is most often the other way round – there are many who report that their migraine attacks get triggered after eating sweets. There is a connection between timely meals and migraine though. Among people with migraine, the headaches tend to get triggered while fasting or if the meals are skipped or delayed. So, people with migraine are advised to always have meals on time,” said Dr Kumar.

One of the potential triggers for migraine headaches is casein, a form of protein found in dairy , according to Dr Avantika Krishna Killa, naturopathy physician and founder, Panchatattva.  Casein could be a major trigger for most chronic diseases especially for those with a leaky gut, Dr Killa said, adding that there are “better ways to manage migraine, which is with a complete change in lifestyle”.

Registered dietitian Garima Goyal said no food or beverage can be suggested  on the basis of a mere claim without sufficient human trials involved. On top of it, this combination has many disadvantages too, she said, listing a few:

Leads to chronic diseases

The use of refined wheat flour or maida in jalebi makes it an unhealthy option. This is because refined wheat is only simple sugar, lacking in fibre. Consuming this regularly can lead to various chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart ailments, hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure etc. Also, having it the first thing in the morning may make you feel constipated due to lack of fibre, said Goyal.

Do you suffer from migraine? (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Extremely bad combination for diabetics and pre-diabetics – Most people don’t even know that they are predisposed to diabetes and that their sugar levels are borderline. For this reason, this combination can turn out to be really harmful as it is filled with sugar syrup, which makes the jalebis extremely calorie-dense. Having it in the morning may spike the blood sugar levels and cause more damage than any claimed benefit, Goyal mentioned.

What more?

“Having this combination of rabri jalebi is extremely harmful as jalebis are deep-fried in hydrogenated oil which is loaded with trans fats… The rabri served with jalebis contains saturated fat and sugar too,” Goyal said.

While having rabri jalebi may be a yummy option on a few occasions and that too in moderation, using it as a therapy for ailments like migraine “is not at all a good idea”.

What can help to manage migraine?

Dr Killa suggested the following

* Avoid triggers (the 7 C’s) such as caffeine, carbonated drinks, casein, chocolates, cheese, citrus, and curd.
*Avoid MSG, fermented foods, marinated foods, sugar, red wine, etc.
*Drink a lot of water. Hydration will prevent any kind of headache.
* Do yoga regularly. Specially kapalbhati, pranayamas like left nostril breathing, bhramari, Anuloma viloma, and deep relaxation techniques.

📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!