The main agent behind the risk is tyramine, which acts in a similar way to catecholamine in the blood.
“Catecholamine excites certain nerves, causing a faster heartbeat and higher blood pressure,” said Shin Jun-han, a professor in the cardiology department at Ajou University Hospital.
“A high dose of tyramine in the blood causes arrhythmia along with a faster heartbeat. But once the tyramine is dissolved, the heartbeat returns to normal.”
Tyramine is often found in fermented foods and drinks such as cheese, wine, pickled vegetables with vinegar, and bananas gone brown.
To maintain a normal dose of tyramine, a person should avoid consuming more than one fermented food at a time – for example, the popular combination of wine and cheese.
People aged 70 or older, or who are taking anti-depressants, must be extra cautious, as anti-depressants prevent tyramine from dissolving in the blood.
Arrhythmia can cause heart failure and sudden death.
“Tyramine more directly causes arrhythmia than smoking, drinking and caffeine,” said Oh Il-young, a professor in the cardiology department at Seoul National University Hospital.
