Migraines affect millions of people worldwide and can make daily life really difficult. Researchers looked at 30 studies to see if vitamin D deficiency might be connected to migraines and whether taking vitamin D supplements could help. They found that people with low vitamin D levels tend to have more frequent migraines and worse symptoms. When people with low vitamin D took high-dose supplements, they experienced about 50-72% fewer migraine attacks. However, the benefits were much smaller for people who already had normal vitamin D levels. The research suggests that checking your vitamin D level might be a helpful first step in managing migraines.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether low vitamin D levels are connected to migraines and if taking vitamin D supplements can reduce how often migraines happen
  • Who participated: The review looked at 30 different studies involving thousands of people with migraines, including children, adults, and people with severe, hard-to-treat migraines
  • Key finding: People with low vitamin D had more migraines and worse symptoms. When people with deficiency took high-dose vitamin D (50,000 IU per week or more), they had 50-72% fewer migraine attacks. People with normal vitamin D levels saw little benefit from supplements.
  • What it means for you: If you have frequent migraines, getting your vitamin D level checked might be worth discussing with your doctor. If you’re deficient, supplementation could potentially help reduce how often migraines occur. However, this isn’t a cure-all—it works best for people who actually have low vitamin D.

The Research Details

This was a scoping review, which means researchers searched through published studies to map out what we know about vitamin D and migraines. They looked at three major medical databases and found 3,447 studies initially, then carefully selected 30 that met their criteria. These 30 studies included different types of research: 14 observational studies (where researchers watched what happened naturally), 9 randomized controlled trials (where people were randomly assigned to get vitamin D or a placebo), and 7 other review articles.

Because the studies used different methods and looked at different groups of people, the researchers couldn’t combine all the numbers into one big analysis. Instead, they summarized what each study found and looked for patterns across all of them. This approach is useful for understanding a topic when research is still developing and hasn’t settled on one standard way of studying it.

The researchers specifically looked at how common vitamin D deficiency is in different parts of the world, how vitamin D levels connected to migraine symptoms, and whether supplements worked differently for children, people with chronic migraines, or people whose migraines didn’t respond to normal treatments.

This type of review is important because migraines affect 1 in 5 people globally and cause real suffering. Vitamin D deficiency is also extremely common—affecting over 1 billion people worldwide. If there’s a connection between these two problems, it could offer a simple, affordable way to help many people. The scoping review approach helps researchers understand what we already know and identify what we still need to study.

The review included both observational studies and randomized controlled trials, which is good because it shows different types of evidence. However, most of the evidence came from observational studies, which are less reliable than controlled trials because they can’t prove cause and effect as clearly. The studies also used different methods to measure vitamin D and different ways to track migraines, which makes it harder to compare results directly. The researchers were transparent about these limitations, which is a sign of good scientific work.

What the Results Show

The research found a clear pattern: people with low vitamin D levels consistently had more migraines and worse symptoms. In some regions, especially areas far from the equator (above 40 degrees north latitude), 75-90% of people with migraines had vitamin D deficiency. This suggests geography and sun exposure play a role.

When people with confirmed vitamin D deficiency took high-dose supplements (50,000 IU per week or more), they experienced significant improvement. On average, these people had 50-72% fewer migraine attacks—that’s a really substantial reduction. Some people even stopped having migraines altogether. The improvement seemed to happen gradually over several weeks to months.

Interestingly, when researchers gave vitamin D supplements to people who already had normal vitamin D levels, the supplements didn’t help much. This is an important finding because it suggests vitamin D only helps if you’re actually deficient. It’s not like taking extra vitamins will always make things better—your body needs to actually be lacking vitamin D for the supplement to make a difference.

A few smaller studies suggested that combining vitamin D with other treatments might work even better. For example, one study found that vitamin D plus probiotics helped people with hard-to-treat migraines, and another found vitamin D plus a migraine medication called topiramate worked well in children. However, these findings come from single studies and need more research to confirm.

The review found that vitamin D appears to work through several biological pathways. Vitamin D helps control inflammation in the body and affects how pain signals travel through the nervous system. This makes sense because migraines involve both inflammation and problems with how the brain processes pain. The research also showed that the connection between vitamin D and migraines was stronger in some groups than others—for example, it seemed particularly important in people with chronic migraines (migraines happening 15+ days per month) and in children.

This review builds on earlier research that suggested a link between vitamin D and migraines. What’s new here is the comprehensive look at how common this problem is globally and the evidence that supplementation actually helps. Previous studies had mixed results, but this review shows that when you focus on people who are actually deficient, the benefits become much clearer. The findings also align with what we know about vitamin D’s role in pain and inflammation throughout the body.

The biggest limitation is that most studies were observational rather than controlled experiments. This means we can see that low vitamin D and migraines go together, but we can’t be 100% certain that low vitamin D causes migraines—other factors could be involved. Different studies measured vitamin D differently and tracked migraines in different ways, making it hard to compare results directly. Many studies were small, and some were done in specific regions, so the findings might not apply equally to everyone worldwide. The review also found that we don’t yet know the ideal dose of vitamin D, how long people need to take it, or which groups benefit most. More research is needed to answer these practical questions.

The Bottom Line

If you have frequent migraines, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level (this is a simple blood test). If you’re deficient, supplementation appears to be worth trying—the evidence suggests it could reduce migraine frequency by about half. Start with your doctor’s guidance on dosage, as high-dose supplements need monitoring. If your vitamin D level is normal, supplementation is unlikely to help your migraines. Confidence level: Moderate for people with deficiency; Low for people with normal levels.

This research is most relevant for people who have frequent migraines and haven’t found good relief with standard treatments. It’s particularly worth exploring if you live in northern climates, have limited sun exposure, or follow a diet low in vitamin D-rich foods. People with chronic migraines (15+ days per month) and children with migraines should especially consider this. However, this shouldn’t replace standard migraine treatments—think of it as a potential additional tool. People with normal vitamin D levels probably don’t need to worry about this.

If you start vitamin D supplementation, don’t expect immediate results. Most studies showed improvements over 8-12 weeks, with some people seeing changes within 4-6 weeks. It typically takes time for your body to build up vitamin D levels and for the effects on migraine frequency to show up. You should give it at least 2-3 months before deciding if it’s working for you.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your migraine frequency weekly (number of migraine days per week) and vitamin D supplementation dose and timing. Also note any changes in migraine intensity on a 1-10 scale. This creates a clear before-and-after picture to share with your doctor.
  • If your doctor confirms vitamin D deficiency, set a daily reminder to take your vitamin D supplement at the same time each day (ideally with a meal containing fat, since vitamin D is fat-soluble). Log each dose in the app to build consistency and track adherence.
  • Check in monthly to review your migraine patterns. After 8-12 weeks, compare your migraine frequency to your baseline. If you see improvement, continue the supplement and recheck your vitamin D level in 3-6 months. If you see no improvement after 12 weeks, discuss with your doctor whether to adjust the dose or try a different approach.

This research summary is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Vitamin D supplementation, especially at high doses, requires medical supervision. Before starting any supplement, consult with your doctor or healthcare provider, particularly if you take other medications, have kidney disease, or are pregnant. The findings apply specifically to people with confirmed vitamin D deficiency. Individual results vary, and this approach works best as part of a comprehensive migraine management plan, not as a standalone treatment.