What is tyramine and why does it ruin your sleep?

Tyramine can cause what's known as cheese syndrome. If you suffer from this, you're sensitive to the substance tyramine, which is found in aged cheese and processed meat, among other things. Eating too much of it can cause headaches. Poor sleep can also be caused by tyramine.

Not many people are familiar with this yet. Still, it's good to know a little more about it, because it can have a significant impact on your health. In this blog post, we'll discuss exactly what tyramine is and why it can be detrimental to your sleep.

Tyramine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in your body and in certain foods. In the body, it helps regulate blood pressure. In food, it is formed by bacteria from proteins.

The longer a product is stored, the higher its tyramine content becomes. It is therefore found in larger quantities in fermented, yeasted, and smoked products. An aged cheese therefore contains more tyramine than a young cheese.

Examples of foods that contain a lot of tyramine are aged cheese, dried sausage, dried fruit and fermented products, such as tofu.

As mentioned, tyramine also occurs naturally in the body, where it's needed to regulate blood pressure. The amount of this amino acid in your body is kept in balance by enzymes (monoamine oxidase, MAO), which break down any excess.

Too much tyramine in your blood can cause high blood pressure. This can happen if you consume too much tyramine and have too few monoamine oxidase enzymes.

Certain medications can also inhibit the function of these enzymes. These are the classic or non-selective MAOIs. You may be prescribed these if you suffer from depression or anxiety disorders.

Taking MAO inhibitors and eating foods rich in tyramine can be dangerous. Your blood pressure can rise rapidly in a short period of time, causing a severe headache [1] . In severe cases, it can even lead to a brain hemorrhage.

Even if you're not taking MAOIs, you may still experience side effects from products rich in tyramine. If you're sensitive to the substance, it could be the underlying cause of a stabbing headache or a migraine attack[2] .

This is annoying, but not as serious as the reaction you can get when taking MAOIs.

Besides the fact that tyramine can cause headaches, there's another reason it can negatively impact sleep. It can stimulate brain activity, potentially causing insomnia.

When you eat something rich in tyramine, this substance causes the production of norepinephrine. This stimulates the brain and raises blood pressure, which in turn increases your heart rate.

Eating aged cheese, dried sausage, or pickles before bed can make you active and alert. It's not hard to imagine that this can make it difficult to fall asleep.

If you are sensitive to tyramine or notice that you have trouble sleeping after eating tyramine-rich foods, it is wise to avoid these products.

It is best to avoid the following products and product groups:

• Old and strong-flavored cheeses - Old cheese, Parmesan, feta, cheddar, blue cheeses (such as Gorgonzola), Camembert.
• Processed meats - Meat that has been treated with salt and nitrates, such as dry sausage, pepperoni, hot dogs, and salami.
• Smoked meats - Bacon, smoked fish and corned beef.
• Fermented products: Sauerkraut, pickles, tofu, kimchi. Also soy sauce, miso, and teriyaki sauce.
• Soybeans and products containing soybeans.
• Dried fruit, such as raisins and prunes. Overripe fruit, such as bananas, also contains a lot of tyramine.
• Citrus and tropical fruits- Grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, avocados.
• Alcoholic beverages – beer, red wine, sherry, liqueur.
• Spreads based on yeast extract, such as marmite and sourdough bread.

Tyramine isn't the only substance that can keep you awake at night. Alcohol and coffee can also disrupt sleep.