Have you ever been anxious but you don’t know why? Have you had trouble sleeping even though you were exhausted? You might have even tried cutting down on, or cutting out coffee, cigarettes, sugar and alcohol, but still these symptoms remained. However, this bane to your wellbeing could be found in your diet, as there are certain foods you may be eating that contain a mild stimulant called Tyramine.
Tyramine can cause insomnia, heart palpitations, an increase in blood pressure and mild to migraine headaches when consumed in large quantities. Foods that contain Tyramine release adrenaline into your system, and always come under the heading of a food that is aged, pickled, fermented or smoked. By recognising these foods in your diet, you can avoid them and get back on track to better wellness.
Therefore, you should avoid the following foods: Hard cheeses, such as Swiss, Cheddar, Asiago and Romano, but creamed cheese, cottage cheese, farmers cheese and ricotta are exceptions to this. Aged, smoked and marinated meats should also be avoided, such as lunch meats, bacon hot dogs, baked ham, smoked meats and fishes, pickled herring, hard salami, pepperoni and bologna.
Likewise, keep away from legumes and nuts, all beans, snow pea pods and Italian beans, pickled vegetables, such as sauerkraut, pickles, olives and artichokes and fermented items, such as soy sauce, and tofu. Yeast in sourdough bread should be avoided, though leavened breads are fine, and yeast is among the other condiments that are a problem; meat tenderizers, bouillon cubes, dry soup mixes, dry gravy mixes. Overripe and dried fruits, chocolate and avocados round off the food list, but be aware of alcohol too. There are small amounts of Tyramine in beer, but high amounts in red wine, especially Chianti and Vermouth.
You might find no reaction in smaller quantities of these foods, but if you do experience headaches, migraines, rapid heartbeat (palpitations), and an increase in blood pressure, it might be time to check out your diet and see if it contains foods that are high in this substance.
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