What is tyramine?

Tyramine is an amino acid that is created during the breakdown of a protein. It is formed by decarboxylation of tyrosine. That breakdown occurs as food is ripened, dried, fermented, cured, pickled, canned or preserved.

In ripened cheese, tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine predominate, while tyramine is found in higher concentrations (up to 150 mg/100 g) than other amines in fermented meats.

Other foods containing tyramine: eggplants, avocados, bananas, broad beans, chicken liver, peanuts, raspberries, red plum, sour cream and tomatoes.

Tyramine is naturally produced in the human gallbladder. Tyramine has been associate with hypertension and headache in sensitive individuals, especially those who suffer from migraine headaches. In migraine sufferers, there is a buildup of tyramine that the body cannot break down on its own.

Migraine sufferers are deficient in the enzyme Roboflavin-5-Phosphate. With this deficiency, the body goes into attack mode and blood pressure rises, causing swelling of the blood vessel that surround the cranial cavity, causing the beginnings of the feared migraine.
What is tyramine?