vanilla extract
Additives & Leavening
Is vanilla extract high in tyramine?
Is vanilla extract 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.
Related checkers
Compare vanilla extract across criteria
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 vanilla extract contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where vanilla extract fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about vanilla extract
Vanilla extract is mostly a non-issue as a trigger, because you use it in drops. It is an alcohol-based flavouring, and while it rates borderline across histamine, salicylate, sulfite and nickel, the half-teaspoon that goes into a whole cake is far too little to matter for most people. The two things worth knowing: the alcohol base can bother anyone who reacts to alcohol itself, and cheap imitation vanilla is a synthetic flavour with added sweeteners rather than real vanilla, so the ingredient list is worth a glance.
Watch for
- Alcohol-based (usually around 35 percent alcohol), which is the one genuine catch for people who react to alcohol even in tiny amounts
- Imitation vanilla is synthetic vanillin with added corn syrup or caramel colour, so pick pure extract if additives are a concern
- Borderline on histamine only in theory, since real-world drop-sized doses keep the exposure very small
Explore related in Additives & Leavening
Compare similar foods to build a personalized list of swaps that work for your system.
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:
View all safe options
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.
Want personalized tracking?
Download Triggerbites to log meals, track symptoms, and discover your unique triggers.
Get the AppFAQ
Is vanilla extract high in Tyramine?
Tyramine: moderate signal - portion size matters.
Can I still eat vanilla extract if I'm sensitive to Tyramine?
Try smaller portions and space it out.
What else should I check?
Check Halal, Jain, and Buddhist Vegetarian next for a fuller picture.