Many sugar-free products contain this, and it is known to be bad for kidneys. It also produces gastrointestinal upset in just about everyone I know (and with ingestion of very small amounts of these products). Its also in some breath strips. I just wonder what this product does and why it must be added to so many things.
2006-08-10 18:03:01 · 4 answers · asked by WhiteLilac1 6 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
Actually these foods n drinks contain aspartame - phenylalanine makes up 50% of aspartame and aspartame is the artificial sweetener itself.
Previously saccharin was widely used till it was found to be harmful too.
From Wikipedia :-
The reason is not that phenylalanine is in the food per se. Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) is an ester that is hydrolyzed in the body to form phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol (wood alcohol), and it is the phenylalanine portion of aspartame which then builds up in the person with phenylketonuria (PKU) : an inability to metabolize phenylalanine.
The amounts used in aspartame are an incredibly low risk factor however, as far larger quantities of the amino acid would be obtained through simply consuming any protein at all with phenylalanine content, which would include all complete proteins, as phenylalanine is an essential amino acid.
2006-08-10 18:21:22 · answer #1 · answered by jenn n 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Phenylalanine is an amino acid that your body NEEDS to function.
It is found in complete proteins such as dairy products (curd, milk, cottage cheese), avocados, pulses and legumes (particularly lima beans), nuts (peanuts, pistachios, almonds), seeds (piyal seeds), leafy vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish and other seafoods. Where did you find that it was bad for the kidneys? If it was, we'd all be dead.
Phenylalanine just so happens to be made in the body after ingestion from aspartame products.
The only people who need to worry about phenylalanine build up are people who cannot break it down like in the disease PKU. This disease is diagnosed at birth with a blood test. The buildup of phenylalanine causes brain damage. The products warn about phenylalanine for PKU patients. It is not to worry the general public.
So to answer your question, it is not being added to anything. Part of the aspartame is later changed into phenylalanine. Side effects of aspartame are memory loss, seizures, migraines, anxiety and even weight gain.
Sugar alcohols (another sweetener type) like Sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol are poorly absorbed by the body. Eating significant amounts of these may have a laxative effect and cause intestinal gas and diarrhea. Those products may be causing the GI upset. FDA approved nonnutritive sweeteners include Saccharin (Sweet n' low), Sucralose (Splenda) and Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet). There are also the aforementioned sugar alcohols. Phenylalanine is only produced from the Aspartame products, which again, is not dangerous!
You can look here for more info: http://eatright.org/ada/files/Straight_Answers_About_Aspartame.pdf
check out this too: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060730153611AA9bIE0
I hope this wasn't too confusing!
2006-08-11 06:09:05 · answer #2 · answered by number 1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many people are unaware that it causes cancer as well try to stay away from all artificial sweetners take a look at this site itll tell ya more it is www.thecurezone.com
2006-08-11 01:10:26 · answer #3 · answered by Tammy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe its a sugar-like substitute
2006-08-11 01:08:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋