Bacon is a breakfast staple adored for its irresistible smoky, salty flavor. You may be wondering if bacon has tyramine if you are sensitive to it or if you take MAO inhibitors.
The short answer is yes. Bacon has a lot of tyramine, a chemical that can make sensitive people get headaches, high blood pressure, and other bad things.
In this guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about tyramine in bacon, including
- Tyramine levels in different types of bacon
- Health risks of tyramine for sensitive groups
- Other cured meats high in tyramine
- Safer low-tyramine alternatives to bacon
- Tips for reducing tyramine intake from bacon
Here’s why it’s a good idea to eat less bacon if you’re stressed about tyramine.
What is Tyramine?
Tyramine is a biogenic amine compound formed through the breakdown of the amino acid tyrosine, It occurs naturally in the body at low levels,
However, consuming large amounts of tyramine from foods can cause health issues in sensitive individuals, such as:
- Migraine headaches
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Hypertensive crisis – dangerously high blood pressure requiring emergency treatment
The body relies on an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) to metabolize and remove excess tyramine.
When MAO function is inhibited – either genetically or from medications like MAO inhibitors – tyramine can build up to harmful levels and trigger symptoms.
Foods highest in tyramine include aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented foods, and some produce like bananas and avocados.
Why Limit Tyramine Intake?
For most healthy adults, dietary tyramine poses little risk as the body can easily break it down.
However, people with the following conditions need to restrict tyramine to avoid potentially serious side effects:
-
Migraine – Tyramine is a known headache trigger and associated with migraine attacks.
-
MAO inhibitor medications – These drugs block MAO enzymes needed to metabolize tyramine, causing dangerous buildup.
-
Hypertension – Tyramine spikes blood pressure, worsening hypertension.
-
Liver or kidney disease – Impaired amine metabolism allows tyramine to accumulate.
Consuming high-tyramine foods like bacon can quickly provoke symptoms in these groups. Limiting intake prevents headaches, hypertensive crisis, and other tyramine-related side effects.
Does Bacon Have Tyramine?
Yes, bacon contains very high levels of tyramine. In fact, bacon is considered one of the highest tyramine foods and is strictly limited on low-tyramine diets.
This is because bacon undergoes curing and smoking – preservation processes that increase tyramine content in meats.
The level of tyramine can vary based on factors like:
-
Curing method – Dry-cured bacon is higher in tyramine than injectable wet-cured.
-
Smoking time – The longer the smoking period, the higher the tyramine.
-
Nitrates – Nitrate and nitrite preservatives may react with tyramine.
So while tyramine content can vary, all bacon should be considered high in tyramine and avoided by sensitive individuals.
What Other Cured Meats Contain Tyramine?
In addition to bacon, other processed and cured meats contain concerning levels of tyramine. Avoid these meats on a low-tyramine diet:
- Salami
- Pepperoni
- Hot dogs
- Sausages
- Deli meats
- Aged ham
- Smoked fish and meat
- Fermented sausages
- Aged bologna
Fresh uncured meats like chicken, pork, and beef have minimal tyramine levels in comparison. Opt for these instead of cured meats when limiting tyramine.
Healthier Low-Tyramine Alternatives to Bacon
The savory umami taste of bacon is hard to replicate. But here are some low-tyramine breakfast ideas:
-
Turkey or chicken bacon – Uncured turkey or chicken bacon contains far less tyramine than pork.
-
Prosciutto – Dry-cured but unsmoked, prosciutto is lower in tyramine than bacon. Limit to 1-2 thin slices.
-
Beef or lamb bacon – Uncured beef or lamb bacon are lower-tyramine bacon alternatives.
-
Vegetarian bacon – Soy-based veggie bacon contains no tyramine.
-
Sausage patties – Turkey or chicken sausage meat formed into patties makes a bacon-like breakfast meat.
-
Sautéed mushrooms – Sliced mushrooms sautéed in olive oil with garlic offer a meaty, umami flavor.
Tips to Reduce Tyramine Intake from Bacon
If you don’t want to fully give up bacon, these tips can help decrease tyramine intake:
-
Choose uncured turkey or chicken bacon and limit to 1-2 slices max.
-
Opt for lower-sodium bacon, as excess sodium may increase tyramine levels.
-
Fry bacon thoroughly until crispy to potentially reduce tyramine content.
-
Limit eating bacon to once a week or for special occasions only.
-
Consult your doctor about safe tyramine limits based on your health status.
It’s also wise to monitor for symptoms like headache and elevated blood pressure after eating even small amounts of bacon.
Can You Safely Eat A Small Amount of Bacon?
For most people, an occasional strip of bacon likely poses minimal risk. But those with migraine, hypertension, or on MAO inhibitors should avoid bacon altogether.
In sensitive individuals, even a small amount of bacon may trigger severe headaches, dangerous spikes in blood pressure, or hypertensive crisis.
Pregnant women should also avoid tyramine as it may increase risk of gestational hypertension or trigger preterm labor. Children are also at higher risk for hypertensive effects from excess tyramine.
If you do choose to eat bacon occasionally, stick to 1-2 slices maximum per sitting. Fry it crispy, let it cool, and blot excess fat to reduce tyramine content.
Of course, the safest approach is to avoid all forms of bacon and other cured meats if you’re concerned about tyramine.
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
Sign up for free to get the latest news on health research, health tips, current health issues, and expert advice on how to manage your health. Click here for an email preview. Email.
ErrorEmail field is required
ErrorInclude a valid email address
We may combine information we have about you with information about how you use our website and emails so that we can give you the most useful and relevant information and figure out what information is useful. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. Let’s put this information together with your protected health information. We will handle it all as protected health information and will only use or share it in ways that are described in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
I just started taking an MAOI for depression. Do I really need to follow a low-tyramine diet?
Tyramine (TIE-ruh-meen) is an amino acid that helps regulate blood pressure. It occurs naturally in the body, and its found in certain foods. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are medicines that stop monoamine oxidase from working. Monoamine oxidase is an enzyme that breaks down too much tyramine in the body. Blocking this enzyme helps relieve depression.
If you take an MAOI and you eat high-tyramine foods, tyramine can quickly reach dangerous levels. This can cause a serious spike in blood pressure and require emergency treatment.
Avoid consuming foods that are high in tyramine if you take an MAOI. You may need to continue following a low-tyramine diet for a few weeks after you stop the medication.
Tyramine occurs naturally in small amounts in protein-containing foods. As these foods age, the tyramine levels increase. Tyramine amounts can vary among foods due to different processing, storage and preparation methods. You cant reduce the amount of tyramine in a food by cooking it.
Examples of foods high in tyramine include:
- Cheeses that are strong or old, like aged cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan; blue cheeses, like Stilton and Gorgonzola; and Camembert American cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, farmer cheese, and cream cheese are all made from pasteurized milk, so they are less likely to have high levels of tyramine.
- These are meats that have been cured with salt and nitrate or nitrite, like dry summer sausages, pepperoni, and salami
- Snacks and smoked meats, like hot dogs, bologna, bacon, corned beef, and smoked fish
- Foods that have been pickled or fermented, like sauerkraut, kimchi, caviar, tofu, or pickles
- Sauces like miso, teriyaki, soy, shrimp, and fish sauces
- Soybeans and soybean products.
- Snow peas, broad beans (fava beans) and their pods.
- Dried or ripe fruits, like prunes or raisins, or bananas or avocados that are too ripe
- Meat tenderizers or meat prepared with tenderizers.
- Yeast-extract spreads, such as Marmite, brewers yeast or sourdough bread.
- alcoholic drinks like beer (especially tapped or homebrewed beer), red wine, sherry, liqueurs, and more
- Combination foods that contain any of the above ingredients.
- Improperly stored foods or spoiled foods. If you are taking an MAOI, your doctor may tell you to only eat fresh foods and not leftovers or foods that have passed their expiration dates.
Beverages with caffeine also may contain tyramine, so your doctor may recommend limits.
MAOIs, although effective, generally have been replaced by newer antidepressants that are safer and cause fewer side effects. Still, an MAOI is a good option for some people. In certain cases, an MAOI relieves depression when other treatments have failed.
Examples of MAOIs that are used for depression include:
- Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
- Phenelzine (Nardil)
- Selegiline (Emsam)
- Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Selegiline in patch form (Emsam) delivers the medication through your skin. If you use the patch’s lowest dose, you might not have to be as strict about what you eat. But talk to your doctor or pharmacist first.
It is important to know what to do in case of a hypertensive crisis, which is a sudden and severe rise in blood pressure. Some of these signs are:
- Severe headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sweating and severe anxiety
- Nosebleeds
- Fast heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Changes in vision
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
Rarely, a severe increase in blood pressure can lead to bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
If you take an MAOI, be prepared. Ask your doctor:
- For a list of foods to stay away from, make sure you know what is and isn’t healthy for you.
- What to do if you eat or drink something that has too much tyramine by accident, so you are ready.
There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.
Migraine trigger foods
Which foods are high in tyramine?
Some foods contain significant amounts of tyramine, including: Other foods contain little to no tyramine. It is recommended to eat fresh foods and avoid leftover, spoiled, or overripe foods. For breakfast, consider having whole-grain cereal or oatmeal with low-fat milk (or milk alternative), berries, chia or hemp seed, and a dash of cinnamon.
Is tyramine added to food?
Tyramine is produced in foods from the natural breakdown of the amino acid tyrosine. Tyramine is not added to foods. Tyramine levels increase in foods when they are aged, fermented, stored for long periods of time, or are not fresh Bacon*, sausage*, hot dogs*, corned beef*, bologna*, ham*, any luncheon meats with nitrates or nitrites added.
Which fruits contain tyramine?
Citrus fruits like orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, and tangerine contain high levels of tyramine. Tropical fruits have higher tyramine levels when ripened. Ripe bananas, pineapple, and avocado should be avoided if you are particularly sensitive to tyramine. 5. Alcoholic Beverages Fermented alcohol contains tyramine.
What foods have low tyramine?
Pecan nuts may contain low levels of tyramine. Radishes are generally considered low in tyramine but may cause sensitivity in some individuals. Blueberries have been reported to contain trace amounts of tyramine. Sardines, small oily fish commonly canned in oil or water, can contain moderate levels of tyramine.