pomelo
Fruit
Is pomelo high in tyramine?
Is pomelo 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 pomelo contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where pomelo fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about pomelo
If you have been told to avoid grapefruit because of a medication, that warning covers pomelo, and hardly anyone is told so. Pomelo is the largest citrus and the direct ancestor of grapefruit (grapefruit is a pomelo crossed with a sweet orange), and the trait it passed down is the furanocoumarin content that inhibits intestinal CYP3A4. There is a published case of a kidney transplant patient whose tacrolimus level climbed after eating slightly under 100g of pomelo, and animal work found the inhibitory effect from a single dose of pomelo juice still present three days later. Our grapefruit juice entry sets out how that mechanism works, and the same reasoning applies here. On the food-chemistry side pomelo is actually the gentler fruit of the two: salicylates C against grapefruit D, oxalates C against grapefruit E, FODMAPs B against grapefruit D.
Watch for
- Furanocoumarins are the headline.Pomelo carries the CYP3A4-inhibiting compounds behind the grapefruit effect, which raise blood levels of drugs including some statins, tacrolimus, ciclosporin and certain calcium channel blockers. Because the enzyme has to be replaced rather than merely freed up, spacing the fruit away from your dose does not fix it. Raise it with a pharmacist rather than guessing.
- Salicylates C and oxalates C.Borderline on both, but pomelo is eaten as fistfuls of large segments rather than in wedges, so a casual portion is far bigger than a portion of any other citrus.
- FODMAPs B and excess fructose B.Better than grapefruit at D, though half a pomelo in one sitting is a substantial fructose load for a sensitive gut.
- Nickel B and glutamates B: mild, but worth logging if either is on your list.
- Peeling away the thick rind and the bitter membrane does not remove the interaction.The drug interaction work has been done on juice and pulp, which is exactly the part you eat.
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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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Get the AppFAQ
Is pomelo high in Tyramine?
Tyramine: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat pomelo if I'm sensitive to Tyramine?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check Acidic Foods, Reflux Diet, and Salicylates next for a fuller picture.