The New Complete Book of Food

 The New Complete Book of Food

to metabolize galactose. Pregnant women who are known carriers of galactosemia may be

advised to give up milk and milk products while pregnant lest the unmetabolized galactose

in their bodies cause brain damage to the fetus (damage not detectable by amniocentesis).

Genetic counseling is available to identify galactosemia carriers and assess their chances of

producing a baby with the disorder.

Penicillin sensitivity. People who experience a sensitivity reaction the first time they take

penicillin may have been sensitized by exposure to the Penicillium molds in the environment,

including the Penicillium molds used to make brie, blue, camembert, roquefort, Stilton, and

other “blue” cheeses.

Food/Drug Interactions

Tetracycline. The calcium ions in milk products, including cheese, bind tetracyclines into

insoluble compounds. If you take tetracyclines with cheese, your body may not be able to

absorb and use the drug efficiently.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are drugs used to treat

depression. They inactivate naturally occurring enzymes in your body that metabolize tyra-

mine, a substance found in many fermented or aged foods. Tyramine constricts blood ves-

sels and increases blood pressure. If you eat a food such as aged or fermented cheese which

is high in tyramine while you are taking an MAO inhibitor, your body may not be able to

eliminate the tyramine. The result may be a hypertensive crisis.

Tyramine Content of Cheeses

High

Boursault, Camembert, Cheddar, Emmenthaler, Stilton

Medium to high

Blue, brick, Brie, Gruyère, mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, Roquefort

Low

Processed American cheese

Very little or none

Cottage and cream cheese

Sources: The Medical Letter Handbook of Adverse Drug Interactions (1985); Handbook of Clinical

Dietetics (The American Dietetic Association, 1981).

False-positive test for pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytomas (tumors of the adrenal

glands) secrete adrenalin that is converted by the body to vanillyl-mandelic acid (VMA)

and excreted in the urine. Tests for this tumor measure the level of VMA in the urine. Since

cheese contains VMA, taking the test after eating cheese may result in a false-positive result.

Ordinarily, cheese is prohibited for at least 72 hours before this diagnostic test.