Tyramine: Characteristics Of This Monoamine-type Neurotransmitter
For proper functioning of the body, we naturally secrete a series of substances that help promote it; others, however, that we extract from food, and others that we secrete and extremes.
Tyramine is a substance that is part of the latter; It is a monoamine amino acid (neurotransmitter) that helps regulate blood pressure. We also find it in foods such as cheese, nuts or herrings.
Tyramine: characteristics of this neurotransmitter
Tyramine is a vasoactive amino acid This means that it widens (vasodilation) or narrows (vasoconstriction) the blood vessels. Specifically, it is a monoamine, a type of neurotransmitter.
All monoamines are derived from aromatic amino acids such as phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and thyroid hormones through the action of l-amino aromatic acid decarboxylase enzymes. Tyramine It is found in some foods such as aged cheese, nuts, chicken liver and herrings (belonging to the sardine family).
Regarding its effects, tyramine stimulates the release of the catecholamines adrenaline and norepinephrine. On the other hand, it helps regulate blood pressure, and, in addition to being found in certain foods, it is produced naturally in the body.
Tyramine causes headaches in some people and it is a product obtained by converting tyrosine (amino acid present in many proteins) into epinephrine (active hormone produced internally in the adrenal gland).
Pharmacology
At the drug level, it is important to know that antidepressant medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) block monoamine oxidase, which is an enzyme that breaks down excess tyramine in the body
Blocking this enzyme helps relieve symptoms of depression. This is why MAOIs are indicated for this type of mood disorders (depression), and especially indicated for atypical depressions.
Foods with this substance
Tyramine occurs naturally in small amounts in certain foods that contain protein As these foods age, tyramine levels increase. On the other hand, tyramine levels can vary between different foods, due to their different processing, storage and preparation methods. Additionally, even if cooked, the tyramine levels in foods cannot be reduced.
Some examples of foods with a high level of tyramine are the following:
Effects
As we have seen, foods containing tyramine can cause headaches (migraines), since this substance triggers a chain reaction that results in the most common causes of headaches, such as cerebral vasoconstriction, followed by dilation of the blood vessels in the head.
On the other hand, tyramine could also cause, in especially sensitive people, arrhythmias and high blood pressure
Relationship with MAOIs
If you are following pharmacological treatment with MAOI antidepressants, their combination with foods that contain high levels of tyramine, such as those mentioned, should be avoided.
This is because if you take an MAOI and eat foods high in tyramine, This can quickly reach dangerous levels, causing a serious increase in blood pressure which can end up leading to hypertensive crises or heart attacks.
Hypertensive crisis
In the event of a rapid and severe increase in blood pressure (with the risk of suffering a hypertensive crisis), it is advisable to know the symptoms that may appear (emergency signs), which would include the following:
