Overview

There is no direct evidence that green tea is directly therapeutic for cluster headache, but it contains a number of compounds that might offer support to clusterheads through various mechanisms:

• Stimulates/normalizes Lipolysis, which is low in cluster headache patients.
• Reduces clotting (see:Anticoagulants)
• Anti-inflammatory effects.
• Theanine (an amino acid in tea) blocks glutamate/NMDA nerve transmission.
• Reduces Nitric Oxide production.
• Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor and some people find it brings cluster pain down a notch.

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My favorite green tea for everyday use is this Yamamotoyama tea. It actually costs less than a lot of the gourmet green teas available in supermarkets, and is top quality (the Chinese developed tea, but the Japanese perfected it). If Yamamotoyama isn't available locally, you can click on the box image to order it.



Yamamotoyama also sells a good bulk tea ('sencha') that is super-economical ... 7 ounces for around $5 (a box of 20 tea bags has less than 1 ounce of tea and can cost $3 - $5 in a supermarket). Click Here to See More! I have bought it and like it, but personally prefer the convienence of tea bags.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a consideration for many people, and tea seems to affect my hearbeat more than coffee. The beneficial compounds in green tea are not removed by the decaffeination process, so for general health, decaf is just as good.

A study in Japan found that migraneurs consume more coffee and tea than the general population; this raises the question of whether the caffeine in coffee and tea is a risk factor for neurovascular headache. (abstract (cache)).

Yamamotoyama also offers a decaf green tea; the price is significantly higher than regular, but the cost works out to around twenty-five cents per cup - still less than most soft drinks and restaurant beverages.


One caffeine free alternative to tea or coffee is Rooibos.

References

Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2004 Jul;71(1):25-31. (abstract (cache))
Antiplatelet effect of green tea catechins: a possible mechanism through arachidonic acid pathway.
Son DJ, Cho MR, Jin YR, Kim SY, Park YH, Lee SH, Akiba S, Sato T, Yun YP.
College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan 336-745, South Korea.

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