A diverse series of compounds, known as the phenethylamines, are created from the amino acid tyrosine (bold, at bottom, below). In vivo, things like adrenaline and dopamine are generated. Small amounts of tyramine are also generated. These are particularly concentrated in fermented foods like cheese, beer, wine, and pickles. Normally, the body can process these with facility; an enzyme called "monoamine oxidase" exists to do just this. If a food with a large amount of tyramine is ingested, though (mistletoe, apparently, fits this bill), or the MAO pathway is compromised (certain, older antidepressants do just this to impair clearance of serotonin and dopamine), hypertension can result. You hear about this less because fewer and fewer people are on MAOIs.
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It should be noted that oral activity of the hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine requires an accompanying monoamine oxidase inhibitor (not so for smoking). The Uniayo Do Vegetal church have a particular brew which fits the bill quite nicely. The interruption of the MAO pathway to raise the activity of or make DMT orally active is fraught with danger due to the concomitant buildup of tyramine and other phenethylamines.
Then there's the trying to jump through keyholes and dancing with phantasmal cuttlefish singing in the fundamental freqencies of reality part.
Absolutely fabulous!
We haven't yet met, but a hearty and belated welcome to the fold!
And, hey, take a look at my masthead banner: you could've won this contest, hands down!
no pikhal reference?
Every time I eat Aged Cheddar Cheese it makes me dizzy, I now suspect the tyramine in it.
For the past two weeks I have been eating this cheese, and after eliminating many of the possibilities that are causing me to get dizzy, ie: dirty, gunk house, cyanide, antifreeze exposure, dioxin. I think maybe I can narrow down my problem to the cheese.
I have been feeling fine all day and then I eat this cheese again and fall into a nasty dizziness spell. Has anyone else experienced this?