Can A McDonald's Meal Cure A Migraine? We're McSkeptical

McDonald's is a chain of many virtues — the burgers, the fries, the Americana, the McFlurry machines that actually work now — but healthiness isn't really one of them. Yes, the "Super Size Me" documentary was wildly sensationalized and even outright deceitful, but this is a chain that specializes in inexpensive, salty food. Sweetgreen, this ain't. But what if we told you that there was a way to cure a debilitating migraine just by eating McDonald's? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it probably is.

On TikTok (because, of course, it's TikTok), people are claiming that you can get rid of a migraine, an incredibly painful headache that can last days, simply by eating fries and a Coke (regular or Diet) from McDonald's. The idea is that the caffeine and/or sugar from the Coke, as well as the saltiness of the fries, soothes whatever neurological issues might be causing the migraine. And hey, if it works for some people, it works for them, and we certainly don't mean to talk over them. But it is by no means a cure-all, and in some cases it might even trigger worse migraines. (Food-based remedies are nothing new — in fact, people in ancient Rome tried to cure their migraines with balsamic vinegar.)

The annoying thing about migraines, aside from the aforementioned debilitating pain, is that we don't really know what causes them. We know what might trigger them (anything from stress to bright lights to changes in the weather), but as for the underlying cause, we're kind of in the dark. That makes it hard to find a reliable way to treat them. Even migraine medications don't work for everybody, and if something designed in a lab to stop migraines can't be a universal cure-all, a large fry and a Coke from the Golden Arches isn't going to be the silver bullet, either.

There's indeed some anecdotal evidence from people who claim the McMigraine combo helps. Because caffeine makes blood vessels constrict, it can help slow the pain receptors in your head. And salt and sugar can adjust your blood sugar and electrolyte balance, both of which can cause migraines if they're out of whack. But there are so many different kinds of migraines that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, some people might get migraines from eating salty, processed food like McDonald's french fries.

People who suffer from migraines might be desperate to find something that relieves their pain, and if the McMigraine manages to get it done, that's wonderful. But for others, it might be a better idea to stick to magnesium-rich leafy greens while taking their migraine medication.