If you are one of the more than 28 million people who suffer from migraine headaches, then you may have to look no farther than your dinner plate to find the cause. One study by the Cleveland Clinic found that over 25% of migraine headaches are triggered by ingesting foods with high levels of tyramine.
Tyramine is a chemical that is produced naturally through the breakdown of the amino acid tyrosene. This occurs in aged foods, and foods that are fermented or stored for extended period of time.
What to Avoid
- Aged Cheese – Unfortunately this includes all of the good stuff; blue cheese, brie, cheddar, swiss, provolone, guda, feta, and mozzarella all have high levels of tyramine. Processed cheeses such as Velveeta and American cheese are alright.
- Fermented Soy Products – If you have a great big whopper of a headache after eating PF Changs, it’s not just the MSG that is causing it. Although MSG is a known trigger, any type of soy sauce, miso, or teryaki sauce can have the same effect on susceptible individuals.
- Nuts – All nuts and seeds can be triggers for migraines. This includes peanuts, walnuts, pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and any products such as peanut butter.
- Alcoholic Beverages – All fermented drinks contain high levels of tyramine.
If you suffer from chronic migraines, then you may want to start eliminating these foods from your diet. A complete list of food triggers can be found at http://www.headaches.org/consumer/topicsheets/LowTyramineDiet.pdf.