Some healthful foods may cause high blood pressure

If you have high blood pressure or have been told that your blood pressure is slowly creeping up, then you probably started a new diet and exercise program to lower the numbers. While eating good food that is natural and healthful can help fight hypertension, you may be unaware that some good foods can actually cause an increase in blood pressure.

Let's first take a look at the substance that might be causing hypertension, and then I'll give you list of foods that contain it.

Tyramine: the good, the bad & the ugly
Tyramine is an amino acid derived from tyrosine, another amino acid. I wrote about tyrosine (Depression & how I conquered it) and its effect on depression. Tyramine constricts blood vessels. Your body makes all the tyramine it needs, so adding tyramine through foods or through tyrosine supplements may increase the constriction of your blood vessels. By constricting your blood vessels, you may inadvertently cause hypertension or higher-than-normal blood pressure levels. Tyramine does wash out of your body through the digestive process, so the effect on your blood pressure is only temporary. However, taking tyrosine supplements on a regular basis will make your tyramine levels (and, possibly, your blood pressure) higher all the time.

One of the worst tyramine interactions is with prescription drugs. MAO inhibitors block the formation of tyramine (this is a highly simplified explanation). If you eat tyramine-containing foods or take tyrosine-containing supplements while taking an MAO inhibitor, you could end up with seriously high blood pressure.

Foods that may cause high blood pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, or you would like to avoid foods that could cause hypertension, avoid these foods:

1. Aged dairy products (cheeses, yogurt, etc.)
   
2. Soy products (soybeans, soy sauce, teriyaki, miso, tofu, Bragg Liquid Aminos, etc.)
   
3. Air-dried, canned or cured meats and fish
   
4. Pickled foods
   
5. Corned beef
   
6. Broad (fava) bean pods
   
7. Yeast extracts and foods containing them (Vegemite, etc.)
   
8. Sauerkraut
   
9. Alcohol (especially chianti, vermouth, and tap beer and ale)
   
10. Chocolate
    
11. Over-the-counter cold medicines
    
12. Avocados (riper fruit has more tyramine)
    
13. Dried fruit
    
14. Eggplant
    
15. Oranges
    
16. Bananas
    
17. Pineapple
    
18. Plums
    
19. Liver
    
20. Onions
    
21. Nuts
    
22. MSG (monosodium glutamate)
    
23. Vanilla
    

This isn't a complete list of tyramine-rich foods. You can find a more comprehensive list at PCC Natural Markets, which has a web page devoted to a tyramine-free diet. Check it out if you've tried everything else without success to naturally lower your blood pressure. The only available cookbook for a tyramine-free diet (Headache and Diet: Tyramine-Free Recipes) was published in 1990. Much has been learned since 1990 about tyramine-containing foods, and some foods that we now know contain tyramine are listed as tyramine-free in this book. If you're still interested in the book, click on the Amazon link below.



If you've eaten a food that has caused your blood pressure to increase, you should take some comfort in the knowledge that it's just temporary and will subside in about 5 hours. If you are under a doctor's care for hypertension or take an MAO inhibitor and your blood pressure increases significantly, contact your physician immediately.

Tyramine-rich foods can also cause migraine headaches. If you suffer from frequent headaches, perhaps you should try a tyramine-free diet to see if that clears things up. Also, check out my blog about migraines and magnesium. It might help relieve your migraines.

Additional resources:
J S C Med Assoc. 2002 Aug;98(4):187-92
J Clin Psychiatry. 1999 Mar;60(3):191-3
J Clin Psychiatry. 1996 Mar;57(3):99-104
J Clin Psychiatry. 1995 May;56(5):196-201
Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1981 Nov;15(11):904-6

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I am not a doctor and have no medical training.
The information in this blog is not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Statements made on this blog
have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Consult a healthcare professional before using any products,
treatments or exercises mentioned on this blog.

"Let food be thy medicine and
medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates