Hey Migraine Mentees 👋 

Today’s newsletter takes another 5 minutes to read—so if you’ve only got 60 seconds, here’s what you need to know:

• Vitamin D isn’t just for bones — It functions like a hormone that influences pain, inflammation, and immunity.

• Low levels of Vitamin D = more migraines — Research consistently links lower Vitamin D status to more frequent, longer, and severe attacks.

• It impacts CGRP — Vitamin D may help suppress this key inflammatory molecule involved in migraine pathology.

• You can test and dose it safely — Learn which lab markers to ask for, and how to properly supplement with your provider’s guidance.

• Don’t megadose without reason — Know when Vitamin D helps and when it could cause more harm than good.

• Winter-proof your intake — Sunlight, food, and smart choices in supplements can help bridge the gap in darker months.

🌥️ Vitamin D is one of the most impactful molecules out there for helping to manage migraine attacks, and yet, so many know so little about it.

Here’s your Vitamin D masterclass, packed with step-by-step instructions on how to maintain adequate levels to help you manage your migraines and quality of life.

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

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👉️ In This Week’s Edition…

• 🥡 Weekly Take-Out

  • Meme of The Week -  🐐 The G.O.A.T Pain Triggers…

• 🔈️ The Migraine Mentors Minicast - Podcast Series

  • How Vitamin D Could Be The Missing Link in Treating Migraines

• 📜 Read This Now!

  • Vitamin D - The Master Hormonal Regulator of Inflammation, Pain, and Immune Function

• 🍴 Migraine-Friendly Recipe of the Week

  • Green “Monster” Smoothie

🥡 WEEKLY TAKE-OUT

🚦 Meme of The Week

🗞️ MIGRAINE MINICAST

🎧 How Vitamin D Could Be The Missing Link in Treating Migraines

🍁 As the seasons change and hoodies become our new norm, we’re starting to spend less time outdoors, which means less exposure to direct sunlight (for us northerners…Another GOT reference anyone?!)

In this episode, we’re shining that lost direct light onto Vitamin D, the unsung hero and secret hormone that helps us regulate immune function, inflammation, and pain.

It’s also a pivotal factor in treating migraine attacks that is often overlooked by traditional medical providers and clinicians.

🧠 In this week’s Migraine Mentors Minicast, we cover:

• Why Vitamin D is more than just a “bone vitamin” and actually functions like a hormone…

• What research says about low Vitamin D and increased migraine attacks…

• How Vitamin D influences migraine inflammation via the suppression of CGRP…

• How to safely test, supplement, and optimize your Vitamin D levels…

• What you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to Vitamin D supplementation…

• Finding evidence-based ways to get Vitamin D during the winter…

Whether you’re dealing with seasonal shifts, chronic migraine, or just curious about your vitamin levels, this week’s episode is for you.

🎧 Tune in to learn why Vitamin D may be the missing link in your migraine care plan!

👇 Tap below to listen now! 👇

📜 TOP ARTICLE

🕹️ Vitamin D - The Master Hormonal Regulator of Inflammation, Pain, and Immune Function

We hate to say it… But winter is coming (Where are our GOT fans at?!)

Living in Minnesota has it’s perks, but the moment winter pokes it’s ugly head out, we immediately remember we’re in for an existential cold streak that always sticks around for way too long…

Winter often brings colds, sickness, and darkness… All things that play a role in the utilization and production of this week’s topic:

👉️ Vitamin D

Vitamin D, which is best known for helping us maintain healthy bone structures, also plays an essential role in the regulation of pain and inflammation, along with optimizing immune function.

Today, we’ll unpack what’s solid, what’s promising, and how to use that knowledge safely.

🧬 Why Vitamin D Matters for Migraine

• Low Vitamin D = More Migraines.

  • Observational studies and meta-analyses consistently find lower 25(OH)D levels in people with migraine and a higher frequency of migraine attacks when vitamin D is low.

• Can supplements help? 

  • In pooled randomized control trials, vitamin D supplementation reduced the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks and improved disability scores. A study in 2020 even showed lower CGRP (the “migraine inflammation molecule”) levels and improved disability scores (MIDAS) after 12 weeks of vitamin D supplementation vs. placebo.

🖇️ How Vitamin D Impacts Inflammation and Immune Function

Vitamin D receptors sit on top of your body’s immune cells (B cells, T cells, and antigen-presenting cells), which can locally activate Vitamin D activity when they need to…

🛟 It’s a lifeline for managing inflammation and immune function for our cells!

Vitamin D primarily works by dampening excessive inflammatory responses and regulating our immune system to work properly.

And since migraine pathology involves neuroinflammation and trigeminovascular activation, Vitamin D’s immune modulating and potential CGRP-lowering effects play a pivotal role in improving migraine attacks and quality of life.

🪜 How To Put This Into Practice

1. Run Labs 🧪

   • Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, you can test it, as it’s stored in your body’s fat cells. Ask your clinician to run a Vitamin D test (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) to establish your levels.

     • Most U.S. authorities consider < 20-30 ng/mL as a deficiency, with optimal ranges being between 60-80 ng/mL, especially in the functional medicine communities.

2. Use Supplements Wisely 💊

   • For many adults, 600–800 IU/day is a common maintenance range, with some migraine trials mentioned dosing 1,000–2,000 IU/day. In our practice at The Neural Connection, we’ve safely dosed patients up to 10,000 IU/day, but only in extreme situations of severe deficiency…

     • It’s always best to work with your clinician to individualize dosing based on your level, body size, sun exposure, and meds.

3. Get Your Vitamin D From Multiple Sources (if possible) ☀️🥚🐟

   • Sunlight - Exposure to sunlight on the skin supports endogenous Vitamin D production (and steadies circadian rhythms that influence migraine). This is the ideal form of Vitamin D synthesis!

   • Food - Prioritize eating fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna), beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese.

   • Supplements - Use third-party tested, GMP certified, Vitamin D3/K2 combinations (K2 is contraindicated if you’re on a blood thinner) to optimize absorption and uptake.

4. Maintain Health Habits 🧱

   • Vitamin D is a supporting actor in the theatre of health and wellness, which always brings us back to maintaining healthy habits…

     • As we’ve stated in the past, it’s always best to maintain regular sleep/wake times, consume healthy meals (quality proteins, healthy fats, and high-fiber veggies with complex carbs), maintain proper hydration + electrolytes, exercise to tolerance, be aware of your triggers, utilize acute treatments, and (when appropriate) deploy preventive meds or devices.

⚠️ Safety Notes & Red Flags

• Don’t Megadose (Unless under clinical supervision) 

  • Vitamin D is fat-soluble (stored in fat cells) and toxicity leads to hypercalcemia, kidney strain, and arrhythmias.

    • Stay within your clinical ranges suggested by your medical provider and re-check levels after any dose changes.

• Be Aware of Medication Interactions

  • Thiazide diuretics (↑calcium), corticosteroids (alter Vitamin D metabolism), Orlistat (↓absorption), and some statins may interact with Vitamin D supplementation…

    • Once again, another great reminder to do this under medical supervision.

• Conditions To Consider Before Vitamin D Supplementation

  • Granulomatous diseases, hyperparathyroidism, and renal (kidney) impairment you may require tighter monitoring to avoid hypercalcemia issues…

    • You know what we’re gonna say here, so just go talk with your doctor… 🙂

💬 Vitamin D is The “New” Mother Hormone

As we’ve discussed, Vitamin D plays an essential role in modulating inflammation, pain, and immune function in ways that make clinical and biological sense for managing migraine…

So if your medical provider hasn’t had a discussion with you about Vitamin D and it’s impact on your migraine symptoms, it’s time you take the lead and bring it up at your next visit.

Vitamin D could be your secret weapon for treating migraine!

🧠 The Migraine Mentors

🍴MIGRAINE-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Green “Monster” Smoothie

🧾 Ingredients (serves 1–2)

• 1 small handful fresh spinach (not baby kale or mixed greens, which can be higher in histamine)

• ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped

• ½ green apple, cored and sliced (use fresh, not stored or browned fruit)

• ½ cup coconut water (no preservatives or added citric acid)

• ½ cup filtered water or ice

• Optional add-ins:

  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (freshly ground, for gentle fiber)

  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (if you prefer extra sweetness)

🥄 Instructions

1. Wash all produce thoroughly.

2. Add spinach, cucumber, apple, and coconut water to a blender.

3. Blend until smooth, adding extra water or ice to reach your desired consistency.

4. Serve immediately (avoid storing — histamine levels can rise as the smoothie sits).

🌿Why It’s Migraine & and Histamine-Friendly

✅ Spinach

• Provides magnesium, a mineral known to help reduce migraine frequency and muscle tension.

• Gentle and low in histamine when fresh (avoid older spinach, which can accumulate histamine over time).

✅ Cucumber

• Extremely hydrating, helping counteract dehydration — a common migraine trigger.

• Naturally anti-inflammatory and low in histamine.

✅ Green Apple

• Provides antioxidants and helps regulate blood sugar, supporting steady energy (blood sugar swings can provoke migraines).

• Avoid citrus fruits, which are common migraine triggers — apple is a safe swap.

✅Coconut Water

• Replenishes electrolytes like potassium and magnesium — both supportive for migraine prevention.

• Naturally low in histamine (as long as it’s pure and without additives).