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lemongrass
Herbs & Spices
Is lemongrass high in tyramine?
Is lemongrass high or low in tyramine? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
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Sensitivity notes
Why tyramine food checker matters
Tyramine is an amino acid that forms when proteins break down. It's found in aged, fermented, or spoiled foods. For people taking MAO inhibitors or those with tyramine sensitivity, it can cause headaches, elevated blood pressure, and other reactions.
- Choose fresh over aged, fermented, or preserved foods
- Eat protein foods fresh and store properly
- Be especially careful if taking MAO inhibitor medications
- Common high-tyramine foods include aged cheese, cured meats, and soy sauce
- Ripeness affects tyramine - choose less ripe fruits
Sensitivities
What lemongrass contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where lemongrass fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about lemongrass
Despite the name, lemongrass is not a citrus and contains no lemon. It is a tropical grass, and the lemony aroma comes from citral, a compound it happens to share with lemon peel. That distinction is worth stating clearly, because people avoiding citrus often cut lemongrass out of Thai and Vietnamese cooking for no reason. The grades back that up: histamine A, and only a mild liberator at B, where lemon and lime are strong histamine liberators. It is also clean on FODMAPs, fructans, gluten, lactose, dairy protein, nightshade, nickel, sulfite, glutamates, lectins and SIBO fermentation, and it is anti-inflammatory friendly and AIP compliant. The one honest caveat is salicylate at C, the moderate level typical of aromatic herbs, with oxalate a mild B alongside it.
Watch for
- Salicylate C is the only meaningful grade.Aromatic plants concentrate salicylates, and lemongrass is no exception, though a bruised stalk simmered in a broth and then lifted out is a much smaller dose than a paste with the stalk blended in
- It is not citrus, so avoiding it as part of a citrus elimination is a wasted restriction.There is no citric acid and none of the citrus proteins involved in true citrus reactions
- The dish is usually the trigger, not the stalk.Recipes that call for lemongrass almost always carry garlic, shallot, fish sauce or shrimp paste too, and those are far higher on FODMAP, histamine and glutamate than the herb is
- Form changes the dose sharply.A whole stalk is a flavouring you remove before eating, a curry paste means you eat all of it, and lemongrass tea or essential oil is more concentrated again
- Oxalate B is mild and only relevant if you are counting oxalate strictly and drinking lemongrass tea regularly rather than cooking with a stalk
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Tyramine Guide
Everything you need to know about tyramine sensitivity and smart food choices.
Tyramine is an amino acid that forms when proteins break down. It's found in aged, fermented, or spoiled foods. For people taking MAO inhibitors or those with tyramine sensitivity, it can cause headaches, elevated blood pressure, and other reactions.
Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.
These foods are generally well-tolerated for Tyramine sensitivity:
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These foods are high in tyramine and may trigger symptoms:
View full list
If you're sensitive to Tyramine, consider these strategies:
- 1Choose fresh over aged, fermented, or preserved foods
- 2Eat protein foods fresh and store properly
- 3Be especially careful if taking MAO inhibitor medications
- 4Common high-tyramine foods include aged cheese, cured meats, and soy sauce
- 5Ripeness affects tyramine - choose less ripe fruits
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
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Download Triggerbites to log meals, track symptoms, and discover your unique triggers.
Get the AppFAQ
Is lemongrass high in Tyramine?
Tyramine: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat lemongrass if I'm sensitive to Tyramine?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check Salicylates, Low Salicylate, and Histamine Liberators next for a fuller picture.