MAO Inhibitors: Identifying Natural Herbs & Medications

Certain common herbs possess MAO inhibitor activity, requiring caution when combined with other substances. While Zoloft is often questioned, it belongs to a different class of antidepressants than MAOIs.

Common Herbs With MAO Inhibitor Activity

Published Aug,14 2017 | By Janet Contursi

MAOs, or monoamine oxidases, are enzymes that break down neurotransmitters and stop their messaging activity. MAO-A breaks down serotonin, epinephrine and norepinephrine; MAO-B deactivates dopamine.

Janet Contursi has been a writer and editor for more than 23 years. She has written for professional journals and newspapers, and has experience editing educational, cultural, and business articles and books. Her clients include Gale Publishers, Anaxos, Vielife and Twin Cities Wellness. Contursi earned her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, where she studied cultural anthropology, South Asian languages and culture, and art history.