tyramine

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A chemical in foods like cheese or chocolate that can cause headaches in some people

noun
/ˈtaɪrəˌmiːn/

Specialized

: tiramina

High levels of tyramine can lead to adverse reactions in some individuals, especially when consuming aged products.
foods containing tyramine
tyramine-containing foods
an amino acid called tyramine

Examples

People who suffer from migraines should limit their intake of tyramine found in aged cheeses and processed meats.
Certain foods like cheese and chocolate are high in tyramine, which some people need to avoid.
You would be surprised how well ripe bananas can help; they have a good concentration of tyramine.

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When you study the autonomic pharmacology section, you will learn about tyramine and how it helps in neurostimulation.

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Fact: Tyramine is high in wine and cheese; patients who take selegiline, a selective monoamino oxidase inhibitor type B, will have an emergency hypertension reaction.

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Surface Forms

tyramine singular

tyramines plural

Morphology

tyramine = tyrosine (opaque) = tyrosine + amine

Formed from the amino-acid name 'tyrosine' combined with the chemical element '-amine'; this technical naming is not transparently meaningful to average learners.

Etymology

Tyramine comes from the amino acid tyrosine plus the chemical ending -amine meaning 'contains nitrogen', and tyrosine comes from the Greek root tyros meaning 'cheese'. So, tyramine is an 'amine' linked to tyrosine, which helps explain why it is often found in aged cheeses and similar foods.