A new study has revealed that diets high in salty foods are a major culprit in headaches.

The study found that people who ate foods high in sodium (8 grams a day) had nearly one-third more headaches than people who ate foods low in sodium (about 4 grams a day). The difference persisted regardless of whether the volunteers ate a standard North American diet or one designed to lower blood pressure.

Study co-author Lawrence Appel, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins revealed that many Americans consume much more sodium than any of the study participants did. People may avoid some headaches simply by reducing salt consumption.