Adverse Reactions Associated with This Food
Sulfite allergies. To keep light grapes from drying to a dark brown color the grapes are
treated with sulfites such as sulfur dioxide. People who are sensitive to sulfite may experi-
ence serious allergic reactions, including potentially fatal anaphylactic shock, if they eat
raisins treated with sulfites.
Food/Drug Interactions
MAO inhibitors. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are drugs used an antidepressants
or antihypertensives. They inhibit the action of natural enzymes that break down tyramine
so that it can be eliminated from the body. Tyramine is a pressor amine, a chemical that
constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Tyramine, a natural by-product of protein
metabolism, occurs naturally in many foods, particularly fermented or aged foods. If you
eat a food rich in tyramine while you are taking an MAO inhibitor, the pressor amines
cannot be efficiently eliminated from your body and the result may be a hypertensive crisis
(sustained elevated blood pressure). There has been one report of an adverse side effect
(severe headache) in a patient who ate two small packages of dark raisins while using an
MAO inhibitor.
Raisins