Guwahati, May 18 -- Amanda Ellison, Durham University

Whether it's one or two coffees to get us going in the morning or a bar of chocolate after a stressful day, many of us self-medicate when we're tired, stressed or sad. But when we have a headache, most of us head straight for the painkillers.

Lately, though, a viral hack has been making the rounds: that a large Coca-Cola and fries can stop a migraine in its tracks.

And oddly enough, it's not total nonsense.

The caffeine in Coca-Cola acts as a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels. This helps counteract the dilation of blood vessels that occurs during a migraine - a key trigger for pain.

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