Put the paracetamol away, because a brain expert is claiming orgasms are just as good as drugs if you're looking to cure a migraine.
In her book Splitting: The Inside Story on Headaches, neuroscience professor Amanda Ellison says that having an orgasm releases serotonin (also known as 'happy hormone'), which case studies have shown people who often suffer from migraines are deficient in.
Ellison notes in her book the case of "two male episodic cluster headache sufferers, one who was 61, the other 47, [which] was reported in Israel. At the point of orgasm with their respective partners both men reported their headaches suddenly disappeared."
In addition to orgasms, Ellison also says eating chocolate and drinking caffeine are good ways to give the body an extra dose of serotonin. Although, she says, if you're planning on trying these migraine recovery tools you're best to do it after having sex.
Not got the time to orgasm or complete a five finger knuckle shuffle every time you have a splitting headache? Ellison also found the brain chemical oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the 'love hormone', to be an effective cure for migraines, and that's released whenever you get a hug from someone.
"Choose a hugger for a partner. They don't call it neurochemistry for nothing," said Ellison.
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