Can Cream of Tartar Really Relieve a Migraine?

Anyone who’s suffered through migraines can understand how someone would try just about anything to get out of pain. The throbbing, pulsing, pounding, head-in-a-vice feeling is horrible! So why not try something you hear about on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok… like eating cream of tartar. 

THE BACK STORY…

There was a Facebook post in September of 2018 about someone who put a little cream of tartar under their tongue and within minutes they could feel their migraine pain going away. This post went viral… it got over 23,000 “likes” and it got shared over 437,000 times!

This isn’t the first time cream of tartar has been the center of attention for something health related. For nearly a century various claims have been made about the amazing health benefits of this cooking ingredient. It’s been reported to help high blood pressure, weight loss, cessation of smoking, and to rid the body of toxins. 

THE REAL STORY…

None of the claims about cream of tartar have any legit science to support them.  

Cream of tartar has another name, potassium bitartrate, and consuming it in high doses can actually be very dangerous because it can cause a life threatening condition known as hyperkalemia – too much potassium in the blood which causes problems with nerves and muscles, especially the heart. 

Exactly what causes a migraine is still a topic of debate, but so far the research is clear on two things… migraines ARE a complex brain based neurovascular disorder and migraines ARE NOT caused by a cream of tartar deficiency! 

Given the risk of using too much cream of tartar can be a life threatening condition, the fact that no one really knows how much is too much, and the fact there’s no credible science to support the claim it’s probably best to use cream of tartar for cooking only. 

THE NEXT STEP…

If you’re desperate for relief from your migraines and the medications you’ve tired over the years haven’t worked well (or aren’t worth the side-effects that come with them) we recommend you focus on 3 key areas;

1. Improve your central nervous system function, often by working on the upper neck area.
2. Cleaning up your diet (food triggers).
3. Clean up your environment (chemical triggers).