Overview
About Parmesan
A wedge of real parmesan is one of the most concentrated trigger foods in the kitchen.
Two years of aging drive its histamine, tyramine and free glutamate up together, which is exactly why it earns the nickname "the migraine cheese". Oddly for such a strong cheese it is low in lactose, but it is loaded with casein, and because it is set with animal rennet it is not vegetarian.
Sensitivities
How Parmesan scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Extremely high in tyramine, the amine most tied to cheese-triggered migraine and to dangerous reactions on MAOI medication
- Very high in histamine and also a histamine liberator, a double hit that makes it one of the hardest cheeses for histamine intolerance
- A natural source of free glutamate, the umami compound that can act like MSG for people who react to it
- Low in lactose thanks to long aging, but very high in casein, and set with animal rennet so it is not vegetarian
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Parmesan
Why is parmesan called the migraine cheese?
Long aging stacks three headache-linked compounds in one food: tyramine, histamine and free glutamate. Tyramine is the main driver, and parmesan carries some of the highest levels of any cheese, so it is a frequent and well-known migraine trigger.
Is parmesan low in lactose even though it is dairy?
Yes. Aging parmesan for a year or more breaks down almost all of its lactose, so it is one of the gentler cheeses for lactose intolerance. That does not help with a milk allergy, though, because it stays very high in casein.
Is real parmesan vegetarian?
Traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano is set with animal rennet, an enzyme taken from calf stomach, so authentic parmesan is not vegetarian. Only cheeses labelled as using microbial or vegetable rennet avoid this.
References
Read the background
Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.