Did you know that Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that occurs naturally in breast milk?

There are some ridiculous myths that phenylalanine is some type of poison that will destroy your body if consumed.  Phenylalanine is used in artificial sweeteners and I can’t help suspecting that the source of these myths was the sugar industry???  The sugar industry has taken a real body blow in recent decades with the increasing interest in health and nutrition.  The public has reduced their consumption of sugar dramatically and artificial sweetners have filled the gap in the market.  All of a sudden these myths start bouncing around the place that if you use artificial sweetners you will die…. hmmm!!

As an essential amino acid, the body cannot produce phenylalanine by itself, so it must be consumed from food.  It’s found in most foods that contain protein such as beef, poultry, pork, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, soy products and certain nuts and seeds.

The body converts phenylalanine into tyrosine, another amino acid essential for making proteins, certain brain chemicals, and thyroid hormones. Rumors of its toxicity are just rubbish.

So the next time you come across these myths, ignore them.  You are witnessing a war between two industries fighting for position in a more health conscious marketplace.

References:

Fugh-Berman A, Cott JM. Dietary supplements and natural products as psychotherapeutic agents. Psychomatic Med . 1999;61:712-728.

Rezvani I. Defects in metabolism of amino acids; Phenylalanine. In: Behrman RE, Kliefman RM, and Jenson HB, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics . 16th ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company; 2000: 344-346.

Shils ME, Olson JA, Shike M, Ross AC. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease . 9th ed. Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins; 1999(41):1010.