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Bananas and palpitations
I have noticed that after every time I eat a banana, my heart has fairly strong palpitations for 1-2 minutes. It is the oddest thing. Does anyone have any information about this? I have never had a food allergy, but for some reason these episodes happen like clockwork immediately after I eat a banana.
I currently take atenolol 50mg once per day to deal with another minor arrythmia, but this seems much different.
I currently take atenolol 50mg once per day to deal with another minor arrythmia, but this seems much different.
Wow, so hostile over this is not healthy, this could cause palpitations. who knows what is actually going on but your not there to experience it so you should chill before you have a stroke
How do you find out if you have low MAO? Is that part of a regular blood screening that is done for a regular physical or is it something you have to request?
The answer was revealed in a post in 2010.
Tyramine, a phenolic, in bananas, not potassium, causes release of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine which can cause arrythmias.
In addition, there is tyrosine in bananas, an amino acid that forms epinephrine and norepinephrine. So you have a double whammy. This is why some people have reactions to eating bananas.
If you cannot metabolize or deaminate the tyramine and inactivate it, you have a triple whammy with a hypertensive crisis with arrythmia. This can be life threatening in people with low enzyme levels that metabolize tyramine.
The enzyme that breaks tyramine down is MAO or monoamine oxidase. Some people have a genetic deficiency of this enzyme. Others are low because they take drugs that suppress this enzyme.
There are many foods that contain high levels of tyramine: Bananas, aged cheeses, red wine, pickled foods, aged meats, smoked meats. nuts, and many mores. Suggest you google tyramine and see.
As a physician I have seen migraines, arrythmias and hypertensive crisis from eating too much tyramine containing foods in people who have low MAO levels. If you are in the majority and have normal MAO, then these foods may never bother you unless you pig out and eat too much and then you may have a headache or PVC.
I hope this clears up the problem with bananas. It is not a food allergy. It is a physiologic effect of the phenolic and amino acids found normally in the bananas and possibly a lower than normal MAO. The treatment is don't eat them or any other foods with tyramine.
Tyramine, a phenolic, in bananas, not potassium, causes release of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine which can cause arrythmias.
In addition, there is tyrosine in bananas, an amino acid that forms epinephrine and norepinephrine. So you have a double whammy. This is why some people have reactions to eating bananas.
If you cannot metabolize or deaminate the tyramine and inactivate it, you have a triple whammy with a hypertensive crisis with arrythmia. This can be life threatening in people with low enzyme levels that metabolize tyramine.
The enzyme that breaks tyramine down is MAO or monoamine oxidase. Some people have a genetic deficiency of this enzyme. Others are low because they take drugs that suppress this enzyme.
There are many foods that contain high levels of tyramine: Bananas, aged cheeses, red wine, pickled foods, aged meats, smoked meats. nuts, and many mores. Suggest you google tyramine and see.
As a physician I have seen migraines, arrythmias and hypertensive crisis from eating too much tyramine containing foods in people who have low MAO levels. If you are in the majority and have normal MAO, then these foods may never bother you unless you pig out and eat too much and then you may have a headache or PVC.
I hope this clears up the problem with bananas. It is not a food allergy. It is a physiologic effect of the phenolic and amino acids found normally in the bananas and possibly a lower than normal MAO. The treatment is don't eat them or any other foods with tyramine.
The answer was revealed in a post in 2010.
Tyramine, a phenolic, in bananas, not potassium, causes release of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine which can cause arrythmias.
In addition, there is tyrosine in bananas, an amino acid that forms epinephrine and norepinephrine. So you have a double whammy. This is why some people have reactions to eating bananas.
If you cannot metabolize or deaminate the tyramine and inactivate it, you have a triple whammy with a hypertensive crisis with arrythmia. This can be life threatening in people with low enzyme levels that metabolize tyramine.
The enzyme that breaks tyramine down is MAO or monoamine oxidase. Some people have a genetic deficiency of this enzyme. Others are low because they take drugs that suppress this enzyme.
There are many foods that contain high levels of tyramine: Bananas, aged cheeses, red wine, pickled foods, aged meats, smoked meats. nuts, and many mores. Suggest you google tyramine and see.
As a physician I have seen migraines, arrythmias and hypertensive crisis from eating too much tyramine containing foods in people who have low MAO levels. If you are in the majority and have normal MAO, then these foods may never bother you unless you pig out and eat too much and then you may have a headache or PVC.
I hope this clears up the problem with bananas. It is not a food allergy. It is a physiologic effect of the phenolic and amino acids found normally in the bananas and possibly a lower than normal MAO. The treatment is don't eat them or any other foods with tyramine.
Tyramine, a phenolic, in bananas, not potassium, causes release of epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine which can cause arrythmias.
In addition, there is tyrosine in bananas, an amino acid that forms epinephrine and norepinephrine. So you have a double whammy. This is why some people have reactions to eating bananas.
If you cannot metabolize or deaminate the tyramine and inactivate it, you have a triple whammy with a hypertensive crisis with arrythmia. This can be life threatening in people with low enzyme levels that metabolize tyramine.
The enzyme that breaks tyramine down is MAO or monoamine oxidase. Some people have a genetic deficiency of this enzyme. Others are low because they take drugs that suppress this enzyme.
There are many foods that contain high levels of tyramine: Bananas, aged cheeses, red wine, pickled foods, aged meats, smoked meats. nuts, and many mores. Suggest you google tyramine and see.
As a physician I have seen migraines, arrythmias and hypertensive crisis from eating too much tyramine containing foods in people who have low MAO levels. If you are in the majority and have normal MAO, then these foods may never bother you unless you pig out and eat too much and then you may have a headache or PVC.
I hope this clears up the problem with bananas. It is not a food allergy. It is a physiologic effect of the phenolic and amino acids found normally in the bananas and possibly a lower than normal MAO. The treatment is don't eat them or any other foods with tyramine.
I noticed I got palpitations minutes after eating a banana too.and it's not imagination or obsessing, but it's after a meal and that is the clue for me
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