Vasoactive Amine Foods

Vasoactive amine foods contain chemicals that can alter blood vessel activity and may trigger migraine or other vascular headaches. Every person will have different degrees of sensitivity and can tolerate varying amounts of exposure.

Vasoactive amines may naturally be found in certain foods or are produced during fermentation, aging and storage in other foods.

Vasoactive Amine Food List

• “Accent” or MSG
• Alcoholic beverages (all types), especially beer and red wine
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Buttermilk
• Caffeine (in sensitive people)
• Cheese (except cream cheese, ricotta cheese and cottage cheese)
• Chicken livers
• Chocolate
• Cola drinks (except 7-Up or Sprite)
• Figs, canned
• Meat tenderizer
• Orange
• Pickled herring
• Pineapple
• Plums, prunes and prune juice
• Pods of broad beans (fava beans, big lima beans, pinto beans)
• Prepared meat – canned meat, bacon, sausage, bologna, lunch meat, ham, etc.  Any meat that contains NITRITE preservatives  (E 249 – E 252)
• Raisins, red grapes and grape juice
• Sour cream
• Soy sauce
• Yeast extract
• Yogurt