Very few foods have been tested systematically for amine content. Amines are found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, however in the case of meat, dairy products, alcoholic drinks and other fermented foods, amines are usually formed by bacterial degradation. This means that the amine content of foods is highly variable and very hard to quantify. The below information is therefore for illustrative purposes only.

Cheeses, beers and wine are extremely variable in amine content, with content varying between different brands and even different batches of the same product. Live, ‘wild’ beers and cheeses from small breweries and dairies can sometimes have a very high amine content and should be regarded with caution.

Five milligrams is a reasonable starting point from which to determine sensitivity. Most unaffected people tolerate much higher doses of amines (up to 100mg), though individuals sensitive to amines are known to tolerate as little or less than 5mg of tyramine. Ideally amines should be reduced to near zero before attempting to determine sensitivity levels as specific reactions are rarely noticed during chronic consumption.

Please bear in mind that you are not automatically allowed to eat these foods on the elimination diet as some appear low in amines in these lists, but experience tells us that they are not necessarily safe, or they are likely to contain salicylates or glutamates which must also be avoided. It is not possible to determine whether you have a problem with food chemicals merely by eliminating all amines or specific amines. You must also eliminate glutamates and salicylates at the same time. If a food is not listed do not assume that it is safe. Foods that are not listed have not been tested. If you have done the elimination diet and have determined you are only sensitive to amines (an uncommon scenario), you may use this table as a starting point, but it should not be relied upon as a reference.

References

1. Souci SW, Fachmann W, Kraut H., 2000. Food composition and nutrition tables 6th edn. (eds), CRC Press.
2. Kovács A, Simon-Sarkadi L, Ganzler K., 1999. Determination of biogenic amines by capillary electrophoresis. J Chromatogr A. 1999 Mar 26;836(2):305-13. [PubMed]
3. Voight MN, Eitenmiller RR, Koehler PE, and Hamdy, MK., 1974. Tyramine, histamine and tryptamine content of cheese. J. Milk Food Technol. 37:377-381.
4. Badria FA., 2002. Melatonin, serotonin, and tryptamine in some egyptian food and medicinal plants. J Med Food. 2002 Fall;5(3):153-7. [PubMed]
5. Jalón M, Santos C, Rivas JC, Mariné A., 1983. Tyramine in cocoa and derivatives. J. Food Sci. 1983 48 (2), 545-547 [Blackwell Synergy]
6. McCabe BJ., 1986. Dietary tyramine and other pressor amines in MAOI regimens: a review. J Am Diet Assoc. 1986 Aug; 86(8):1059-64. [PubMed]
7. Sullivan EA, Shulman KI., 1984. Diet and monoamine oxidase inhibitors: a re-examination. Can J Psychiatry. 1984 Dec;29(8):707-11. [PubMed]