- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin, board certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, is a St. Louis native looking to the Internet as a way to help people improve their health and be more active participants in their own health care by learning from Mayo Clinic's experts.
Dr. Hall-Flavin served on the faculties of Cornell University Medical College, New York Medical College and The George Washington University Medical School before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 1996. He has special interests in adult psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, pharmacogenetics and personalized medicine. He served as medical director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence from 1986 to 1999, and is currently involved in translational medicine research involving the introduction of pharmacogenetic technology into the daily practice of community psychiatry.
"With the advent of pharmacogenetics and related fields and the advances in translational medicine, informed collaborative relationships between knowledgeable, capable health professionals and informed, proactive individuals and their families are more vital than ever," he said.
"I'm optimistic that our Internet health education activities will contribute to ever-improving health outcomes for all who participate and apply what is learned."
Definition (1)
- 'Clinical depression': What does that mean?
Risk factors (1)
- Junk food blues: Are depression and diet related?
Causes (4)
- Vitamin B-12 and depression: Are they related?
- Caffeine and depression: Is there a link?
- Marijuana and depression: What's the link?
- see all in Causes
Complications (2)
- Depression and anxiety: Can I have both?
- Tinnitus causes: Could my antidepressant be the culprit?
Treatments and drugs (8)
- Mild depression: Are antidepressants effective?
- Antidepressants: Can they stop working?
- Antidepressants and alcohol: What is the concern?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Alternative medicine (2)
- Fish oil supplements: Can they treat depression?
- Natural remedies for depression: Are they effective?
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
MAOIs and diet: Is it necessary to restrict tyramine?
I just started taking MAOIs for depression. Do I really need to follow a low-tyramine diet?
Answer
from Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
A low-tyramine diet is important for anyone who's taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).
Tyramine is a naturally occurring amino acid that helps regulate blood pressure. Tyramine is present in various foods, such as certain cheeses, wines and meats. Tyramine can also result from the bacterial breakdown of protein in foods as they age. Also, the amount of tyramine can vary among specific brands of certain foods due to different processing, storage and preparation methods.
In turn, MAOIs impair the function of the enzyme monoamine oxidase — which is responsible for the breakdown of tyramine in the body. If you include too much tyramine in your diet while you're taking MAOIs, you may experience a dangerous increase in blood pressure. Eventually, excess tyramine in your blood could trigger a stroke.
While you're taking MAOIs, your doctor may recommend eating only fresh foods — not leftovers or foods past their freshness dates. Other tyramine-rich foods and beverages to avoid may include:
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Broad bean (fava bean) pods
- Chocolate
- Aged cheese and any dish prepared with aged cheese
- Sausage, pepperoni and salami
- Sauerkraut
- Soy sauce
- Tap beer
- Red wine, including Chianti
If you haven't received one already, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian for a complete list of foods to avoid while you're taking MAOIs.
Next question
Find Mayo Clinic on