Headache tree is a pain in the brain

Bay laurel swells cranial blood vessels

One whiff of a plant known as the headache tree can spur intense, excruciating pain — and now scientists know why.  An ingredient in the tree sets off a chain of events that eventually amps up blood flow to the brain’s outer membrane.

Scientists have deciphered how an ingredient in the bay laurel tree (Umbellularia californica) triggers headaches in some people.