MGH/McLean Residency Training Program in Psychiatry

Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Edition Massachusetts General Hospital, 1999

PART 3 / CH 53

MAO-I Diet

Paul Hammerness and Amy Gagliardi

CategoryAvoidEat with caution
Cheeseaged cheese

camembert

roquefort

brie, blue

cottage, cream, ricotta, processed
Meat/Fishaged/cured meat

pickled fish

meat extracts

protein supplements

shrimp paste

fresh meats

fresh liver

fresh herring

Fruit/Vegetablestofu

broad bean pods

soybean paste

raspberries

bananas

Alcoholalcohol-free beer, tap beerwine
Othersauerkraut

soy sauce

yeast extract

miso soup

MSG

pizza (fresh cheese, no pepperoni!)

Medicationsmeperidine

SSRI’s

adrenergic agents

codeine, MSO4, fentanyl

· Beware any non-fresh food (even refrigerated)!

· Eating a food once does not guarantee future safety

· Patients on MAO-I should be advised to wear a Med-Alert bracelet and given diet information.

source: Gelenberg AJ (1998) Biological Therapies in Psychiatry 21:2.