What Is Tyramine?
Tyramine is found in many foods, including wines, ripe cheeses, and fermented or aged foods.
Why Should I Follow a Low-Tyramine Diet?
A low-tyramine diet is recommended if you are taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), a type of drug found in certain antidepressants, Parkinson’s medications, and antibiotics. Eating foods with high amounts of tyramine while taking MAOIs can cause a drug-nutrient interaction that produces side effects such as elevated blood pressure, headaches, heart palpitations, and chest pain.
Eating Guide for a Low-Tyramine Diet
Grains
- All commercial breads (except sourdough)
- All baked goods
- Hot and cold cereals
- Pasta, rice, grits
- None
Vegetables
- With the exception of those listed on the right, all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables (as long as they are not overripe or spoiled)
- Fava beans, Italian broad beans, sauerkraut, Chinese pea pods, fermented pickles and olives
Fruits
- With the exception of those listed on the right, all fresh, frozen, and canned fruit (as long as they are not overripe or spoiled)
- Banana peel
Milk
- Plain milk
- Ricotta, cottage cheese, processed cheese (eg, American), and cream cheese
- Cultured milk products: yogurt, buttermilk, keifer, sour cream (limit to 4 ounces per day)
- All cheese not on “recommended” list, aged cheese, cheese sauces
Meat and Beans
- Fresh or frozen meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish
- Eggs
- Legumes
- Nuts, peanut butter
- The following are allowed in limited amounts: fresh sausage and pepperoni, canned sardines, caviar and paté (limit to 1 ounce)
- Liver
- Smoked or dried meats
- Smoked, pickled, or dried fish
- Meat processed with tenderizers
- Meat extracts
- Salami
- Fermented and dry sausage
- Fermented soybean products
Oils
- Salad dressings without aged cheese
- Vegetable oils
- Nuts, peanut butter
- Olives
- Dressings made with aged blue cheese
Beverages
- Juice
- Milk
- Carbonated beverages
- Decaffeinated coffee and tea
- These are allowed, but should be limited: chocolate drinks; coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks; white wine; bottled or canned beer; and clear spirits (if approved by your doctor)
- Tap beer, ale, chianti and vermouth wines, sherry, champagne, and mixed drinks
Other
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Brewer’s yeast
- Bouillon and bouillon-based soup
- Chocolate
- Lasagna, casserole, pizza, or other food made with meat or cheese on the "avoid" list
- Marmite spread
- Vegemite spread
Additional Suggestions
- Limit caffeine intake. While there is no tyramine in caffeine, consuming too much caffeine can result in high blood pressure .
-
Fresh food is less likely to contain high levels of tyramine.
- Promptly refrigerate or freeze foods.
- Use or toss leftovers within 48 hours.
- Eat allowed fresh meats within three days.
- Eat allowed cheese within three to four weeks.
- Do not eat combination foods that contain foods on the “avoid” list.
- Continue this diet for four weeks after stopping your MAOI’s (or as directed by your physician).
- Reviewer: Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof MS, RD, LDN
- Review Date: 03/2013 -
- Update Date: 00/31/2013 -