The tyramine diet: far less restrictive than people think.
When taking a classic MAOI (Parnate, Nardil or Marplan), only one substance in food is a real concern: tyramine. The list of foods that genuinely carry a risk is short — and many old prohibitions were exaggerated. Here they are sorted into green, amber and red.
Below 6 mg of tyramine per serving, risk is generally considered negligible. Fresh foods contain only traces.
Cooking food does not destroy tyramine. An aged cheese remains a risk after cooking.
It applies to classic MAOIs. Moclobemide and the low-dose selegiline patch are largely exempt.
The diet must continue for two to three weeks after stopping treatment, while the enzyme is restored.
⚠ Signs of a serious reaction — act quickly
If, shortly after a meal, you develop a severe, pounding headache (often at the back of the head), a stiff neck, palpitations, sweating, nausea or vomiting, chest pain or blurred vision, this may be a sudden rise in blood pressure. Do not wait for it to pass.
Call emergency services immediately:
112 (Europe) · 15 SAMU (France) · 144 (Switzerland) · 112 (Belgium) · 911 (Canada/Quebec)
Long prohibited — actually safe
These foods appeared on old lists out of excessive caution. Modern data have cleared them: in reasonable quantities, they do not pose a problem.
No food matches this search.
Tyramine content varies greatly depending on manufacturing, ageing, storage and serving size. This classification is a general guide, not a guarantee for a specific product: the instructions from the prescriber or pharmacist and the medicine label take priority.
This website provides general information and cannot replace advice from a physician or pharmacist. Do not make any treatment decision without a healthcare professional. MAOIs involve real precautions — dietary and, above all, drug-interaction precautions — which are detailed on the relevant pages.