High-Tyramine Foods and MAOIs: What to Avoid

10 Foods High in Tyramine to Limit if You’re on MAOIs

This article explains the basics of tyramine and MAOIs, including how both work in the body and which foods are highest in tyramine.

What Is Tyramine and How Does It Work in the Body?

What Are MAOIs?

• Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
• Phenelzine (Nardil)
• Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
• Selegiline (Emsam, Zelapar, Eldepryl), a skin patch

High-Tyramine Foods List

• Chicken liver
• Sausage
• Turkey
• Salami
• Bananas
• Raisins
• Figs
• Avocados
• Fava beans

Most people taking MAOIs will need to minimize or avoid foods and drinks that are significantly high in tyramine. Avoid the following foods if you’re taking an MAOI and following a tyramine-free diet.

1. Strong and Aged Cheeses

Aged cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, blue cheese, and Camembert are the highest in tyramine, thanks to the way they’re processed.

2. Cured, Smoked, and Processed Meats

We should all limit the amount of processed meat in our diets, but people taking MAOIs should be extra cautious when it comes to these animal proteins.

3. Pickled and Fermented foods

4. Sauces

5. Soy Products

6. Yeast Extracts

7. Alcohol

8. Less-Than-Fresh Animal Proteins

9. Sourdough Bread

Choose unfermented breads like a seedy whole-wheat bread for a high-fiber replacement.

10. Caffeinated Drinks

Low-Tyramine Foods

There are plenty of low-tyramine foods and beverages you can enjoy regularly. Some examples include:

• Dairy products Yogurt, milk, ice cream, and cheeses made from pasteurized milk, like cottage cheese, ricotta, and cream cheese, are good options.
• Fresh proteins Freshly bought and prepared meat, poultry, fish, and eggs are lower in tyramine than non-fresh protein.
• Beans and peas All beans and peas — except for fava and broad beans, which are naturally higher in tyramine — are good options.
• All fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables, except those listed above Be sure to eat frozen or canned foods immediately after opening or cooking them, as the tyramine content increases the longer they sit around.
• Pasta All pasta, including spaghetti, ravioli with permitted ingredients, and egg noodles are okay to eat.
• Condiments You can still eat ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, and salad dressings.

If you have any doubt about whether or not a food contains too much tyramine, leave it on the plate and check with your doctor first. And if you don’t know whether a food is expired or still safe to eat, avoid taking unnecessary risks and toss it.

• MAOIs and Diet: Is It Necessary to Restrict Tyramine? Mayo Clinic. January 31, 2025.
• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs). Mayo Clinic. February 27, 2025.
• Burns C et al. Biochemistry, Tyramine. StatPearls. October 10, 2022.
• Laban TS et al. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI). StatPearls. July 17, 2023.
• 5 Foods to Improve Your Digestion. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Low Tyramine Headache Diet. National Headache Foundation.
• Low Tyramine Diet. Queensland Health.

Angela D. Harper, MD

Medical Reviewer

Angela D. Harper, MD, is in private practice at Columbia Psychiatric Associates in South Carolina, where she provides evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy for adul...