Cheeses like cheddar, blue cheese, Camembert, and Swiss might be delectable, but they all contain the amino acid tyramine, which can trigger a splitting headache.
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Normally, the body has no problem processing tyramine. But if you’re deficient in the enzyme needed to break tyramine down, the amino acid can build up in your bloodstream and raise your blood pressure.
Tyramine is also believed to trigger the release of the stress hormone norepinephrine.
“This combo of brain chemicals and elevated blood pressure could possibly be what contributes to headaches and migraines,” Tedrow says.
The amount of tyramine in foods increases over time, says the National Headache Foundation. That’s why aged cheeses are more likely to trigger headaches than their fresh counterparts—like ricotta or cottage cheese.