Foods rich in tyramine

Biological Functions of Tiramina

The tyramine is the product deriving from the decarboxylation of the amino acid tyrosine.

The tyramine stimulates the secretion of catecholamines (dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline) and therefore has hypertensive activity (increases arterial pressure).

Given its inability to cross the blood-brain barrier, it has no psychoactive effects.

Tyramine is produced during the normal metabolism of tyrosine and is found in various foods, including red wine, cheese, mushrooms, yeast, fresh fish and various types of fruit. It originates, in particular, from the fermentation and decomposition processes performed by some bacteria.

The release of noradrenaline from neuronal vesicles, favored by ingestion of tyramine, causes vasoconstriction and increases the heart rate; a significant pressure rise follows, up to the adrenergic crisis in the most serious cases. Regular exposure to food-grade tyramine indirectly improves tolerability to the substance, reducing the release of norepinephrine. The discovery of receptors with high affinity for tyramine in the kidney and other tissues also suggests a direct intervention of this substance in producing the known hypertensive effect.

Tiramina and Hypertension

In the human body, tyramine - be it of endogenous or alimentary origin - is metabolised by monoamine oxidase, enzymes responsible for neutralizing neurotransmitters such as adrenaline, dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin. There are drugs, the so - called MAO inhibitors, which exhibit antidepressant properties dependent on the inhibition of these monoamine oxidases; therefore, a high dietary intake of tyramine in subjects treated with anti-MAO drugs can also produce quite serious symptoms, such as hypertensive crises accompanied by headache, nausea, vomiting, hyper-sweating, palpitations, irritability and an increase in body temperature up to altered consciousness.

In people who do not use MAO inhibitors, ingestion of foods particularly rich in tyramine seems to favor the onset of migraine.

Foods rich in tyramine and other biogenic amines

• Seasoned cheeses such as cheddar, gorgonzola, gouda, roquefort, brie, pecorino, gruyere.
• Fish not very fresh or preserved, such as herring, tuna, caviar.
• Sausage, sausages, game.
• Beer, red wine and fermented drinks
• Spinach, raspberries, tomatoes, sauerkraut, aubergines, cabbage, cauliflower, banana (peel), avocado, prunes, figs, broad beans, tofu, tempeh, miso soup, yeast extract, chocolate, dried fruit and grapes.