While it may be called cream of tartar, this natural remedy for headaches has nothing to do with either your teeth or cream. This baking essential is an important functional ingredient. It helps as a leavening agent for baked goods. Let’s also see whether It can help you beyond the kitchen.
Headache disorders remain the most common disorder of the nervous system, according to WHO. Here’s how the cream of tartar can relieve headaches. Does this antimicrobial, laxative substance have any value for those facing headaches? Diving deeper into whether cream of tartar for migraine headaches is useful is the key here.
Benefits of Cream of Tartar for Headache: Can It Cure the Pain?
Cream of tartar, also called potassium hydrogen tartrate, derives its capabilities to combat headache and cure pain from its potassium-rich content. This white, acidic substance is powdery.
Besides allowing baked goods and beaten egg whites to increase in volume, it also helps in light, fluffy desserts such as angel food cake and meringue. This leavening agent causes gas to release when combined with baking soda. Because it is an acidulant, the baking staple, which is a winemaking product, can ward off headaches.
Once the cream of tartar for headaches is used, it reduces the intensity of the pain according to anecdotal evidence. As far as research is concerned, migraines and headaches have shown to not correlate with cream of tartar intake, although hyperkalemia(1) and increased potassium intake has been linked to more pain and even blood poisoning.
Cream of tartar for headaches caused due to high blood pressure can be cured easily. Potassium is critical for regulating high blood pressure and hydration in the human body. It is found in the cream of tartar. Experts even advocate hydrating the body with a balance of potassium and salt to combat migraine attacks.
However, it is not so simple. The required daily intake of potassium for an average adult is 4.7K mg per day. A single cream of tartar spoonful gives 495 mg of potassium and over 10 percent of the everyday amount.
Taking excessive potassium in powder or supplement form can even trigger headaches and other symptoms. It messes with blood pressure, too. Potassium supplements show typical doses far less than a single teaspoon of cream of tartar.
[ Read: Cream of Tartar Health Benefits ]
Ways to Use Cream of Tartar for Headaches
Oral ingestion is the most effective way to use cream of tartar for headaches(2). Additionally, a swab can be doused in cream of tartar and topically applied to the active area. There are many different creams of tartar remedies you can use.
Ways to take the cream of tartar for migraine headaches can range from mixing it with water to adding lemon and honey for an added tang. Cream of tartar should be cautiously taken; around 1-1.5 teaspoons of this substance is added to water and consumed once every 24 hours for best outcomes.
[ Read: Home Remedies for Headache ]
Side Effects and Precautions
The biggest question before us today is whether the cream of tartar for headaches can be used for depleted potassium and induced headaches. However, potassium is a dangerous mineral if consumed too much (hyperkalemia) and too little (hypokalemia).
If dietary changes do not improve the condition, hospitalization becomes critical. Taken as a supplement by a migraine patient with low blood pressure, cream of tartar for headaches can cause fainting, heart damage, and palpitations. Heart damage, migraines, and seizures are other factors.
Potassium should not be taken in supplement form. It should be consumed in the same way as it usually is. This includes foods like salmon, milk, avocado, and spinach. Cream of tartar can cause mild to lethal complications. Side effects are unlikely when consumed in specific amounts.
Common side effects also include stomach pain, excessive flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea, because cream of tartar is a potent laxative. It speeds up the movement of the digestive tract to spur bowel movements. Dehydration is the result of laxatives.
Therefore, it is critical to drink enough fluids. Side effects of too much cream of tartar can include dizziness, unexplained weight loss, and damage to the colon or digestive organs. Acid/alkaline changes and issues with the digestive system may result.
Cream of tartar has excessive potassium of about 495 mg per teaspoon. Huge potassium in the blood is a medical condition called hyperkalemia. This occurs in individuals in advanced stages of renal diseases.
Individuals who have diabetes, heart problems, or those taking a particular class of renin inhibitor drugs are also three times likelier to develop hyperkalemia. Symptoms of hyperkalemia include muscle fatigue, weakness, nausea, and vomiting as well as cardiac arrhythmia.
The Bottom Line
In sum, the cream of tartar for headaches is a good cure, according to widespread reports, but there is no scientific proof for this. On the other hand, too much cream of tartar can lead to issues with the health of the individual and toxic reactions like hyperkalemia.
Cream of tartar used for headaches should be limited because the possible side effects are many. This natural remedy should ideally be taken under medical supervision.
[ Read: Essential Oils for Headaches ]
FAQs
1. Is the cream of tartar good for your body?
Cream of tartar, when taken in small amounts, is good for the body. It is an acidulant and a laxative that promotes healthy bowel movements. Regarding headaches, the remedy is useful in small quantities, provided you are not taking the natural solution in vast proportions, as the latter can trigger blood poisoning.
2. Is the cream of tartar good for high blood pressure?
Cream of tartar contains enormous amounts of potassium, which is why it is exceptional for boosting relief from migraines in those facing potassium deficiency. But excessive potassium means it can harm your blood pressure levels if taken in too much quantity. In small amounts, the cream of tartar is suitable for high blood pressure.
