It is found in some foods and can be a direct cause of headaches. When the level of tyramine in the blood increases in the body, a hypertensive crisis occurs and a severe migraine attack occurs. Some people are allergic to it, so they should avoid products containing it.
When we hear about headaches caused by food products, the first thing that comes to mind is alcohol. Each of us knows the effects of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages – usually manifested by a hangover, accompanied by the above-mentioned ailment. However, few people realize that even products such as chocolate or cheese can also cause it.
Of course, we are not talking about a hangover here, but about migraine headaches. According to statistics, Poles consume a lot of painkillers. Few people wonder about the reasons, it is easier to reach for a pill – it turns out, however, that watching yourself and limiting the consumption of certain products can help us get rid of this problem once and for all.
How does tyramine affect headaches?
An increase in the tyramine concentration in the blood causes an increase in blood pressure at the same time. Then the blood vessels contract rapidly, only to expand again after a while. Such a rapid increase in blood pressure becomes the cause of migraine »> migraine pain. Not everyone reacts to this ingredient in this way – tyramine accumulates in people who have impaired functioning of the enzyme that breaks it down. When the concentration of this component in the blood increases, the so-called hypertensive crisis, which causes migraine, and in some additional heart palpitations. Sometimes, in extreme cases, it leads to collapse or coma. In addition, tyramine can cause frequent mood swings.
How to limit the amount of tyramine in the diet?
It is worth keeping a food diary, which will allow you to determine the list of foods and their amounts that trigger migraine attacks. Remember that for each person, the menu should be set individually, sometimes it is enough to eliminate only certain products from the diet to feel better and avoid pain attacks.
- All the products you consume should be fresh, so they should be stored for the shortest possible time, because then the concentration of tyramine does not increase. It is best to buy as much as you need for 2-3 days so that the food does not linger in the fridge for too long.
- Avoid eating foods high in tyramine – cheese, fish (pickled and smoked, salted), beef liver (which is long-term stored), anchovies, soy products, vermouth and chianti wines, yeast supplements, meat concentrates, soy sauce, chicken liver, other offal, salami, caviar, pepperoni, bananas, avocado, beans, figs, chocolate.
- Instead of hard cheeses, put on cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, creamy white.
- Avoid eating long-stored, fermented foods.