Consuming a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the frequency of migraine headaches, a US study suggests.

Boosting omega-3s while also lowering omega-6s led to a reduction of 1.7 headache hours per day and a decrease of four headache days per month, according to researchers from the University of North Carolina.

Lead author Dr Christopher Ramsden a clinical investigator at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore said this was the first moderate-sized controlled trial showing “targeted changes in diet can decrease physical pain”.

“The magnitude of pain reduction (about 30-40% compared to control diet) seen in this trial was similar to that provided by pain medications,” Dr Ramsden said.