What causes pork headaches at barbecues. How can you prevent headaches from BBQ food and drinks. What are the best treatments for pork-related headaches. Is there a link between pork consumption and parasitic brain infections.

The Triple Threat: Food, Drink, and Heat at BBQs

Barbecues are a beloved summer tradition, but for some people, they can lead to an unwelcome guest: a throbbing headache. Why does this happen? Barbecue events often combine three potent headache triggers – certain foods, alcoholic drinks, and hot weather. Understanding these factors can help you enjoy your next cookout without the pain.

Nitrates and Nitrites in BBQ Meats

One of the primary culprits behind barbecue-related headaches is the presence of nitrates and nitrites in many popular grilled meats. These compounds are added to processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, and bacon to enhance color and extend shelf life. While they serve a purpose in food preservation, they can trigger headaches in sensitive individuals.

How do nitrates and nitrites cause headaches? These compounds may cause blood vessels to dilate, leading to pain. If you find yourself frequently experiencing headaches after consuming processed meats, you might want to consider limiting your intake or opting for nitrate-free alternatives at your next barbecue.

MSG in BBQ Sauces and Condiments

Another potential headache trigger lurking in many barbecue foods is monosodium glutamate (MSG). This flavor enhancer is commonly found in BBQ sauces, salad dressings, and packaged snacks. For some people, MSG can trigger headaches or other symptoms known as “MSG symptom complex.”

Is MSG always listed clearly on food labels? Not necessarily. It may appear under various names, including:

• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Autolyzed yeast
• Sodium or calcium caseinate
• Hydrolyzed oat flour

If you’re sensitive to MSG, look for products labeled “MSG-free” or prepare your own sauces and dressings using whole ingredients.

Drinks That Can Trigger Headaches at BBQs

While staying hydrated is crucial at a hot summer barbecue, certain beverages can actually contribute to headaches. Being aware of these potential triggers can help you make better choices and avoid discomfort.

Artificial Sweeteners in Diet Sodas

Diet sodas may seem like a healthier alternative to sugary drinks, but they often contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which can trigger headaches in some individuals. If you’re prone to headaches, consider opting for sparkling water flavored with natural fruits instead of diet sodas.

Wine and Histamines

Wine, especially red wine, is a common headache trigger due to its content of sulfites, tyramine, and histamines. These compounds can cause the body to release histamines, potentially leading to headaches. If you’re “amine-sensitive,” you might also experience headaches from other foods high in these compounds, such as aged cheeses and cured meats.

Alcohol and Dehydration

Any alcoholic beverage can contribute to dehydration, which is a major cause of headaches. To minimize this risk, try to drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. In hot weather, you may need to increase your water intake even further to stay properly hydrated.

The Impact of Heat on Headache Risk

As temperatures rise, so does the risk of developing a severe headache. But why does heat have this effect on our bodies?

Blood Flow Changes in High Temperatures

One theory suggests that in hot weather, more blood flows to the skin to help cool the body. This shift in blood flow may slightly reduce oxygen supply to the brain, potentially triggering a headache in susceptible individuals.

Humidity and Barometric Pressure

High humidity can cause discomfort and stress, which may lead to tension headaches. Additionally, some people are sensitive to changes in barometric pressure, which can fluctuate during summer weather patterns.

Recognizing and Addressing Heat-Related Headaches

If you start feeling ill or notice a headache coming on during a barbecue, take prompt action. Step inside to a cooler environment, relax in air conditioning if available, and drink some cool water. These simple steps can often provide relief and prevent the headache from worsening.

Preventive Measures for BBQ-Related Headaches

While it’s impossible to completely eliminate the risk of headaches at barbecues, there are several steps you can take to reduce your chances of experiencing one.

Choose Your Foods Wisely

Opt for fresh, unprocessed meats instead of hot dogs or sausages. If you do indulge in processed meats, do so in moderation. Load up on fresh fruits and vegetables, which can help balance out your meal and provide important nutrients.

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water throughout the event, especially if you’re consuming alcohol or spending time in the sun. Consider bringing a reusable water bottle to ensure you always have a drink on hand.

Seek Shade and Take Breaks

If it’s a particularly hot day, don’t spend all your time in direct sunlight. Find shaded areas to relax and cool down periodically. If possible, take short breaks indoors to escape the heat.

Be Prepared

If you’re prone to headaches, consider carrying over-the-counter pain relief with you. Products like Goody’s® Extra Strength Headache Powder come in convenient stick packs that are easy to slip into a pocket or purse.

The Surprising Link Between Pork and Parasitic Brain Infections

While not directly related to barbecue-induced headaches, there’s a concerning connection between pork consumption and a parasitic brain infection that’s worth discussing. This infection, known as neurocysticercosis, is caused by pork tapeworm larvae and has become an increasingly important emerging infection in the United States.

Understanding Neurocysticercosis

Neurocysticercosis occurs when tapeworm larvae from contaminated pork invade the human central nervous system. This parasitic disease is now the leading cause of epilepsy worldwide and is no longer confined to developing nations.

Symptoms and Complications

Beyond seizures, neurocysticercosis can have various serious effects on the brain, including:

• Triggering brain tumors
• Causing aneurysms
• Leading to psychiatric manifestations like depression
• Resulting in dementia

Preventing Pork-Related Parasitic Infections

To reduce the risk of neurocysticercosis and other pork-related parasitic infections, consider these precautions:

1. Ensure pork is thoroughly cooked to kill any potential parasites
2. Be cautious when consuming pork in areas with lower food safety standards
3. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw pork
4. Consider reducing overall pork consumption, especially if you’re in a high-risk area

Balancing Enjoyment and Health at BBQs

Barbecues are a time for relaxation and enjoyment, but it’s important to be mindful of potential health risks, including headaches and foodborne illnesses. By making informed choices about what you eat and drink, staying hydrated, and taking breaks from the heat, you can significantly reduce your risk of experiencing a barbecue-related headache.

Moderation is Key

Enjoy your favorite barbecue foods and drinks in moderation. If you know certain items tend to trigger headaches for you, consider them occasional treats rather than staples of your cookout menu.

Listen to Your Body

Pay attention to how you feel during and after a barbecue. If you notice patterns of headaches or other discomfort, use this information to guide your choices at future events.

Educate Others

If you’re hosting a barbecue, consider offering a variety of options to accommodate guests who may be sensitive to common headache triggers. Sharing information about potential risks can help everyone make informed decisions about their food and drink choices.

The Future of BBQ Safety and Headache Prevention

As our understanding of food-related health issues continues to evolve, we may see changes in how barbecues are approached in the future. What might these changes look like?

Advancements in Food Processing

Researchers are continually working on developing new food preservation methods that could reduce or eliminate the need for headache-triggering additives like nitrates and MSG. As these technologies improve, we may see a shift towards safer, more natural preservation methods in processed meats and sauces.

Personalized Nutrition

Advances in genetic testing and personalized medicine may soon allow individuals to identify their specific food sensitivities more accurately. This could lead to highly personalized dietary recommendations, helping people avoid their unique headache triggers at barbecues and other events.

Innovative Hydration Solutions

New products designed to enhance hydration and prevent heat-related illnesses are constantly being developed. From electrolyte-enhanced beverages to wearable devices that monitor hydration levels, these innovations could help reduce the risk of heat-induced headaches at outdoor events.

Increased Awareness and Education

As more people become aware of the potential health risks associated with certain barbecue foods and practices, we may see a cultural shift towards healthier cookout options. This could include a greater emphasis on fresh, unprocessed foods and a more balanced approach to outdoor dining.

By staying informed about these potential developments and continuing to make conscious choices about our barbecue habits, we can look forward to enjoying safer, healthier, and headache-free cookouts in the years to come.

Love the BBQ, Hate the Headache? Follow These Tips

Do you love going to barbecues or holding barbecue parties at your house? Do you ever leave that barbecue with a headache or notice one later that night and maybe into the next day? That could be because barbecue parties, especially deep in the summer, offer up the triple whammy of potential headache triggers—food, drink and hot weather.

Barbecue food is often ripe with nitrates and nitrites.

Many people are sensitive to nitrates and nitrites, which are often added to processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, bacon and lunchmeat to give them better color and preserve their shelf life. Nitrates and nitrites are found in other foods too, such as the pickles you put on your hamburger or the sauerkraut you put on your hot dog.

These compounds help keep harmful bacteria from growing, but they also trigger headaches in some people, possibly because the nitrates and nitrites cause blood vessels to widen or dilate. Avoiding eating too much processed meats might help lessen your headaches.

Dressings, sauces and other BBQ foods might have MSG.

Some people are also sensitive to monosodium glutamate or MSG, which is used as a flavor enhancer in some BBQ sauces and many packaged or processed foods. MSG could be in lunchmeat, potato chips, salad dressings, soy sauce and more. It also may be listed in the ingredients under other names other than “monosodium glutamate,” such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed oat flour, autolyzed yeast, sodium or calcium caseinate and more. If you know you or one of your guests are sensitive to MSG, look for “MSG-free” labels on the food you purchase.

Drink ingredients can trigger headaches too.

On a hot day, the drink cooler is often the most frequented spot at the barbecue. However, there are a few types of drinks that you want to avoid if you are headache-prone.

Diet soda sweetened with aspartame causes headaches in many people. Look for soda that’s sweetened with stevia or a different kind of sweetener, or switch to sparkling water. Many sparkling water brands do not add sugar or sweeteners to their drinks.

Wine is also known to trigger headaches in people due to sulfites, tyramine or histamine that are usually at higher levels in red wines. If you are “amine-sensitive,” you probably get a headache when eating cured meats, aged cheeses and dried fruits as well. Along with red wine, these can all cause the body to release histamines, which can also cause a headache.

Some people are sensitive to certain cocktails, dark liquors and champagne and end up with an almost immediate headache after consuming one drink. Overindulging, of course, will also leave you with a headache the next morning. Drink at least one glass of water for every alcoholic drink to stay hydrated and help prevent a hangover headache. If the weather is hot, drink even more water.

Rising temps increase the chance for pain.

As temperatures go up, so does the risk of severe headache. One theory to explain this is that more blood is going to your skin for cooling, leaving the brain with a little less oxygen. High humidity can make you feel uncomfortable causing stress and tension that causes a headache, and some headache sufferers are sensitive to changing barometric pressure.

Standing outside in the heat, especially when you’re drinking alcohol and enjoying friends and family, can make you less aware of how dehydrated you are getting until you start feeling symptoms. If you start feeling ill or feel a headache coming on, step inside and relax in the air conditioning for a little while, drink some cool water and see if you start to feel better.

If you’re going to a barbecue away from home, slip a few Goody’s® Extra Strength Headache Powder sealed stick packs in your pocket or purse. Go with the original version or bring one of each flavor, including Cool Orange or Mixed Fruit Blast in case someone else needs one.

Chronic Headaches and Pork Parasites

Written By
Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

•

August 26, 2014


Last updated:
October 18, 2022

• 3 min read

Neurocysticercosis is the sciencey name for an infection of the human central nervous system by pork tapeworm larvae. The invasion of baby pork tapeworms in the brain “has become an increasingly important emerging infection in the United States,” and is the #1 cause of epilepsy in the world. It is the most common parasitic disease of the human brain and used to be found throughout only the developing world (with the exception of Muslim countries, since less pork is consumed there). That all changed about 30 years ago, and now it’s increasingly found throughout North America.

Besides seizures, the pork parasites may actually trigger brain tumors or cause an aneurism or psychiatric manifestation like depression. It can also result in dementia, but with deworming drugs this is often reversible. Only rarely do surgeons have to surgically remove the larvae.

I’ve talked about pork tapeworms before (see my videos Pork Tapeworms on the Brain, Avoiding Epilepsy Through Diet, and Not So Delusional Parasitosis). What’s new is that we now know that they may present as chronic headaches—either migraines or so-called “tension-headaches”—even when the worms in our head are dead. What researchers think is happening is that as our body tries to chip away at the worms’ calcified bodies, bits of them may be released into the rest of our brain causing inflammation that could be contributing to headaches.

This condition is rare even in endemic areas, but we can avoid getting infested with an adult tapeworm in the first place by cooking pork thoroughly. It’s found in some parts of pig carcasses more than others (see the meat chart here), and the worms can be frozen to death no matter how infested the muscles are by storing pork (cut up into small pieces) for a month at subzero temperatures. Then to ensure the larvae are dead the meat is recommended to be cooked for more than two hours. That’s one well-done pork chop!

The New England Journal of Medicine recently featured a case of some guy who must have had thousands of pork tapeworm larvae wriggling through his muscles. In my video, Chronic Headaches and Pork Tapeworms, you can see an x-ray, showing the thousands of little white streaks in this man’s body. Each white streak is a baby tapeworm. That’s why you can get infected by pork, it gets in the muscles. So cannibals might want to cook for two hours too.

Not all parasites are associated with meat, though. An anxious but healthy 32-year-old male physician presented to the family medicine clinic with a sample of suspected parasites from his stools, which had been retrieved from the toilet that same day. They looked to be about an inch long. He had previously traveled to India, had Chinese food the night before—who knows what he had. Maybe it was hookworms? The sample was sent to the microbiology laboratory for analysis. Later that day, the microbiology physician called to report positive identification of Vigna radiata (previously known as Phaseolus aureus) in the stool sample. Or in common parlance, a bean sprout. They were bean sprouts!

“The patient was called and gently but firmly informed of the diagnosis. Given the nature of the identified specimen, the information was presented in a non-judgmental, respectful manner so as not to offend the sensibilities or sensitivities of the patient.”

Their parting advice to fellow physicians in cases of this nature was as follows: “as comical as the findings might seem–try not to laugh!”

Other parasites in meat include toxoplasma (Brain Parasites in Meat), sarcosystis (USDA Parasite Game), and Anisakis (Allergenic Fish Worms). There can even be critters in some dairy products (Cheese Mites and Maggots). Eating Outside Our Kingdom describes a brain malady caused not by meat parasites, but by meat proteins themselves.

One of the nice things about eating plant-based is that plant parasites, like aphids, don’t affect people. When is the last time you heard of someone coming down with a bad case of Dutch elm disease?

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-Michael Greger, M.D.

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What is known about swine flu

Seasonal incidence of influenza and SARS is growing in Russia. Thus, over the past week, the incidence rate has increased by 23. 3% compared to the previous week, the Rospotrebnadzor notes. On December 7, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, warned of the spread of a serious strain of influenza A (h2N1), which has now been detected in 74 regions of Russia

). “This season, the h2N1 flu began to spread actively, plus the rhinosincitial virus, adenovirus infection, so the preventive direction – vaccination against influenza, against covid infection, against pneumococcal infection – all this matters,” he said.

On December 7, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, announced that a variant of the flu had arrived in Russia, causing the most serious damage to health. “This is influenza A (h2N1) pandemic year 9 [2009], the first time in year 9 it emerged as an influenza with a high potential to spread. And he caused a pandemic of the ninth or tenth years, ”she said. According to the head of Rospotrebnadzor, swine flu causes a large number of complications and often leads to death among people with poor health.

Over the week, the incidence of SARS and influenza increased by 23.3%, and cases of swine flu have already been recorded in 74 regions of the country, according to the website of Rospotrebnadzor.

What is known about swine flu

The first case of h2N1 in the world was recorded at the beginning of 2009; The new strain has been dubbed “swine flu” because of its genetic similarity to a virus found in North American pigs that is not transmitted to humans. Then scientists assumed that under the influence of mutational variability, reassortment arose – the virus gained the ability to “pass” to humans. However, the World Organization for Animal Health then stated that the new strain was not found in pigs, and the mechanism of its transmission occurs from person to person. The origin of this strain is not exactly known, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted. Later, thanks to research, it was possible to establish that the strain is one of the subspecies of the group A influenza virus, which had previously caused large-scale epidemics in the world, for example, Spanish flu in 1918th, Russian flu in 1977 and swine flu in 2009.

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Why swine flu is dangerous

Symptoms of the h2N1 influenza virus are similar to those of seasonal flu – a high temperature (up to 39 ° C), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, as well as body aches, headache, chills, feeling tired. Experts note that one of the characteristic features of swine flu is also diarrhea and vomiting, which is why it can be confused with acute poisoning. A severe form of the course of the disease manifests itself in rapidly progressing primary viral pneumonia, which, unlike bacterial pneumonia, is not sensitive to antibiotics, if not properly treated, causes serious complications and can lead to the death of the patient.

At risk are pregnant women (especially during the third trimester of pregnancy), children under two years of age, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, particularly those with lung conditions (eg asthma).

Experts recommend getting vaccinated (the flu vaccine, which is also effective against swine flu, was developed back in 2009-2010), strengthen immunity and practice good hygiene: wash hands before eating, do not touch your face in public places, wear masks . The recommendations are airing the premises, hardening the body, taking vitamins and antiviral drugs after consulting a doctor.

The consequences of swine flu pose a danger to human health, as it affects the lungs by analogy with the delta strain of coronavirus, said the director of the center named after. Gamalei, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Gintsburg. In his opinion, the likelihood of severe pulmonary complications after A (h2N1) disease is several times higher compared to many other variants of the virus.

Vladimir Bolibok, an immunologist, tells about the severe consequences for a person after the flu. According to him, the most pronounced complications are pneumonia, post-influenza cardiomyopathy, forms of encephalitis. The peculiarity of this strain of influenza is that it suppresses the production of interferon in an infected cell, and this reduces innate antiviral immunity, the expert notes. “The virus spreads faster throughout the body itself, penetrates deeper tissues faster – lungs, myocardium, brain. As with all forms of influenza, there is a lightning-fast form, when the disease develops like an explosion – within a few hours a person dies, unfortunately, ”says Bolibok.

People have become more susceptible to the virus, which is why the percentage of severe and moderate cases of influenza, which may be accompanied by complications, is growing, says Andrey Pozdnyakov, an infectious disease specialist. In his opinion, this was largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “For two or three years, we saw a decline in influenza due to isolation and anti-covid measures, now there is an increase in the incidence – this is a natural process,” he notes. “There has also been a massive refusal to vaccinate – despite the recommendations, many people neglect flu shots.” According to Pozdnyakov, immunity to the flu virus is declining quite quickly, and due to the fact that for two pandemic years people did not get sick en masse with the flu and were not vaccinated against it, swine flu fell “into a favorable environment.”

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Will there be a new epidemic? She advised to immediately consult a doctor to determine if it was the flu or COVID-19. “Swine flu, all viral respiratory infections and today’s covid start the same way. They begin with weakness, with a rise in temperature, with a general malaise, with an unpleasant feeling in the throat and nose.

With a headache, maybe with muscle pain. There are no specific symptoms. All the symptoms are about the same,” said Popova.

Traditionally, the peak incidence of influenza occurs at the end of December – beginning of January, the second wave of incidence occurs in mid-February, experts say. “A seasonal surge in the incidence of various types of influenza and respiratory diseases is typical for this period – this is a mix of various strains, including swine and other types of influenza,” said infectious disease specialist, MD Nikolai Malyshev.

“Most likely there will be three flu waves before spring. Now comes the first wave. Most likely, the second wave will be after the New Year holidays, in mid-January. The third wave will be at the end of February,” suggests infectious disease doctor Yevgeny Timakov. According to the expert, the current rise in the incidence will subside in two to three weeks.

Attention, PIG FLU!

In January 2016, sporadic cases of the so-called “swine flu” were detected in the Krasnodar Territory. This disease is in many ways similar to the common flu, but it is more complicated and can result in serious consequences.

Swine flu. What it is?

This is a viral acute respiratory disease. This strain of the virus (h2N1) received the name “pork” because it is most genetically similar to influenza in pigs. However, it has been proven that the mutation of the virus occurred precisely after a human infected a pig and this virus is transmitted from person to person. Symptoms of swine flu range from non-febrile (no fever) mild upper respiratory illness to severe or fatal cases of pneumonia. A characteristic feature of the h2N1 flu is the early onset of complications. If with seasonal flu complications usually occur on the 5th-7th day and later, then with h2N1 flu, complications can develop already on the 2nd-3rd day of illness.

The leading complication is primary viral pneumonia, which often ends in death. Primary viral pneumonia destroys lung tissue, since the virus is not sensitive to antibiotics, which leads to functional multiple organ failure (lung, heart, kidney and liver damage). Viral pneumonia deteriorates rapidly, and many patients develop respiratory failure within 24 hours, requiring immediate respiratory support with mechanical ventilation.

There is encouraging evidence that early treatment with antiviral drugs improves the severity of the disease and increases the likelihood of survival.

How you can get infected

Airborne droplets from a sick person, by household contact, when sharing utensils, personal hygiene items with a sick person.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the disease are similar to those of a common ARVI, so it is difficult to recognize it right away. The very first symptoms that may appear: sore throat, head, nasal congestion, aches all over the body. The incubation period for swine flu can last two to four days with these symptoms, or it may be asymptomatic. However, then the patient’s temperature rises sharply, maybe even up to 40 degrees, the person is shivering, muscles ache, severe headaches, nausea appear. Later, a runny nose and cough are added to this. There are other symptoms that are uncharacteristic of the flu, by which swine flu can be recognized – this is vomiting, chest pain, confusion, shortness of breath, inflammation of the eyes.

Treatment

Swine flu is usually treated within a week. The main guarantee of successful treatment is timely and immediate access to a doctor, when the first symptoms of the disease appear. The doctor will usually prescribe antiviral medications, which are best started no more than 40 hours after the first symptoms. It is then that they will have the greatest therapeutic effect.

With swine flu, you should not abuse antipyretic drugs, except when you can hardly tolerate high temperatures, or children are sick, because at temperatures above 38 degrees the virus dies.