Phenylalanine Dangers: An Overview
Many people believe that
phenylalanine is a toxic, dangerous chemical that should be avoided at all costs. But is phenylalanine really dangerous? If not, why is there so much concern about the dangers of phenylalanine? This article will attempt to answer these questions.
Is Phenylalanine Dangerous? -- Understanding The Facts
First, a little scientific background is necessary. The following are basic facts known about phenylalanine:
- Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid. This means that it is necessary for human nutrition and must be obtained through dietary sources, since the body cannot make its own phenylalanine.
- Phenylalanine is important for building proteins. It is also used by the body to make tyrosine, another important amino acid.
- Phenylalanine is found in many natural foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk. It is not an "unnatural" substance.
The Dangers of Phenylalanine: The Warnings
Pick up almost any can of diet soda (or any other "diet" food sweetened with aspartame) and you will notice a warning that the product contains phenylalanine. This often causes people worry and fear. After all, phenylalanine must be dangerous; otherwise, why would a warning be necessary? The answer is simple.
There is a rare genetic condition known as phenylketonuria (PKU). People with this condition are born with no (or a very low) ability to process phenylalanine in the body. In these people, phenylalanine can build up to abnormally high levels (much higher than could be obtained in people without PKU). These extremely high levels of phenylalanine can cause serious problems. People with PKU must limit their dietary intake of phenylalanine, which is the purpose of the warning on products that contain aspartame, since phenylalanine is a component of aspartame. This warning only applies to people with PKU; it has no importance for everyone else.
What If I Have Undiagnosed PKU?
Some people may be concerned that they have PKU and not know it. In fact, some anti-aspartame Web sites go as far as to recommend PKU testing for adults. However, PKU is almost always diagnosed in early infancy, due to required infant screenings done shortly after birth, and people with undiagnosed (and, therefore, untreated) PKU do not reach adulthood without significant problems, such as severe mental retardation. Rest assured that if you have PKU, you will definitely know it.
Final Thoughts on the Dangers of Phenylalanine
Unless you have PKU,
phenylalanine is just a necessary amino acid that should not cause any worry or fear. The presence of phenylalanine in aspartame should not be reason enough to avoid aspartame (after all, if you want to avoid phenylalanine, you will need to cut out a wide range of natural foods as well). Remember that just because phenylalanine can be dangerous if it builds up to extremely high levels in the body, this does not mean that normal intakes are also dangerous. Many necessary and beneficial chemicals or substances in the body are toxic at very high levels.
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