AMINES
AMINES are natural food chemicals that are formed by the breakdown of proteins in the body.
They can affect mental functioning, blood pressure, body temperature and other bodily processes. Symptoms can be migraines, eczema, hives, irritable bowel and depression.
Foods high in amines include cheese, wine, chocolate, fermented and aged, over cooked and processed meats – see table below for more information.
Amines also increase in ripening fruits that soften eg banana and avocado.
Roasting, grilling, BBQing and frying will increase amine levels.
The following table is a generic guide only.
VERY HIGH AMINE CONTENT
|
FRUIT |
VEGETABLES |
LEGUMES, NUTS & SEEDS |
MEAT & FISH |
DAIRY & SOY |
|
|
Sauerkraut Spinach |
Walnuts |
Anchovies Beef Liver Tinned Tuna, Salmon Corned Beef Dried, pickled, salted or smoked fish or meat Fish roe Offal Pate Processed fish products (fish fingers/cakes) Processed meats (pies, ham, salami, sausage) |
All Cheeses Miso Tempeh |
|
GRAINS |
SWEETS & SWEETENERS |
FATS & OILS |
CONDITIMENTS, SAUCES, SEASONINGS & SNACKS |
BEVERAGES |
|
|
Dark Chocolate Fruit flavoured sweets and ices Lemon Butter |
|
All sauces (including Tomato sauce & paste) Curry paste Gravies Marmite Bovril Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (MSG) - link Miso Stock Cubes & powder Lemon Butter Cheese flavoured snacks |
Chocolate drinks Cocoa Soft drinks & Cola Fruit wines Vegetable & tomato juices Orange juice ALL Wines
|
HIGH AMINE CONTENT
|
FRUIT |
VEGETABLES |
LEGUMES, NUTS & SEEDS |
MEAT & FISH |
DAIRY & SOY |
|
Avocado Banana Fig Grapes Lemon Lime Manadrin Tangerine Orange Pineapple Plum Raspberry |
Eggplant Mushroom Tomato |
Cashews, roasted Coconut Hazelnuts Peanuts Pecan |
Aged Meats Bacon Tinned Sardines Frozen Fish Gravy Ham Pork |
Cheese, mild |
|
GRAINS |
SWEETS & SWEETENERS |
FATS & OILS |
CONDITIMENTS, SAUCES, SEASONINGS & SNACKS |
BEVERAGES |
|
|
Cocoa Milk Chocolate White Chocolate |
Coconut Oil Copha Olive Oil Walnut Oil |
Meat Extracts Fish Extracts Soy & Tamari Vegemite Worstershire sauce Vinegar |
Beer Brandy Champagne Liqueurs |
MODERATE AMINE CONTENT
|
FRUIT |
VEGETABLES |
LEGUMES, NUTS & SEEDS |
MEAT & FISH |
DAIRY & SOY |
|
Dates Kiwifruit Passionfruit Pawpaw |
Broccoli Cauliflower Dill Pickle Olives |
Brazil Nut Sesame Seed Sunflower Seed |
All Meats, Poultry & Fish older than 2 days Chicken & Turkey with skin on Chicken Liver Frozen Meat/Poultry Tinned Fish Tuna - Fresh |
|
|
GRAINS |
SWEETS & SWEETENERS |
FATS & OILS |
CONDITIMENTS, SAUCES, SEASONINGS & SNACKS |
BEVERAGES |
|
|
|
Sesame Oil |
|
Ale Sake Stout |
LOW AMINE CONTENT
|
FRUIT |
VEGETABLES |
LEGUMES, NUTS & SEEDS |
MEAT & FISH |
DAIRY & SOY |
|
Blackcurrant Redcurrant Cherry Grapefruit Honeydew Rockmelon
|
|
Almonds Beechnut Cashew (raw) Macadamia Pinenut Pistachio Poppy seed |
Eggs Beef Chicken & Turkey with no skin Fish (fresh, white) Lamb Rabbit Veal |
|
|
GRAINS |
SWEETS & SWEETENERS |
FATS & OILS |
CONDITIMENTS, SAUCES, SEASONINGS & SNACKS |
BEVERAGES |
|
Wheat Rolled Oats Arrowroot Barley Buckwheat Corn Rye Sago
|
Malt |
Canola Ghee Margarine Safflower Sunflower Soy |
Saffron Sea Salt Vanilla |
|
NEGLIBLE AMINE CONTENT
|
FRUIT |
VEGETABLES |
LEGUMES, NUTS & SEEDS |
MEAT & FISH |
DAIRY & SOY |
|
Apple Apricot Peach Pear (ripe, peeled or tinned) Boysenberry Rhubarb Strawberry |
Asparagus Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Capiscum Carrot Celery Corchettes Corn Cucumber French Beans Green Peas Lettuce, iceberg Onions / Shallots Potato Swede Turnip |
Dried beans Lentils Lima beans Soy beans |
|
Buttermilk Fresh Cottage cheese Fresh ricotta cheese Cream Milk Sour Cream Soy Milk Tofu Yoghurt – plain or low amine fruit
|
|
GRAINS |
SWEETS & SWEETENERS |
FATS & OILS |
CONDITIMENTS, SAUCES, SEASONINGS & SNACKS |
BEVERAGES |
|
Rice (white & brown) Rice Bran Rice cakes (plain) Rice cereals Rice Flour Rice pasta Soy Flour |
Caramel Carob Golden Syrup Honey Maple Syrup Molasses Sugar |
|
Herbs Pepper Spices Plain Corn Chips Plain Potato Crisps Tacos |
Carob Coffee Tea Soy milk Lemonade Gin Vodka Whiskey |