what is phenylalanine and can it be harmful to consume.?

Question

I recently heard that diet coke was unhealthy and I want to know more about this bold letter word on the side of the bottle."phenylketonurics:contains phenylalanine."

Answer 1

Phenylalanine is an amino acid. Some people who are born with an error in metabolism such as Pheylketonuria (PKU) cannot digest and break down phenylalanine, and it builds up in their blood and can cause mental retardation. For this reason, on the side of canned diet drinks sweetend w/ Nutrasweet, it says "Phenylketonurics: this product contains phenylalanine" so they will know and can avoid it.

A PKU diet is incredibly difficult to follow, prepare, and enjoy. But it's better than being metally retarded. Many times, once the person w/ PKU hits 21, they can increase their PKU consumption a bit w/o worry.

So if you do not have PKU, you dont' have to worry about ingesting phenylalanine. Your body can metabolize it.

Answer 2

Is Phenylalanine Bad For You

Answer 3

To put is simply: phenylalanine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein. You probably eat phenylalanine all the time in your food. Some people have a genetic defect where they cannot process phenylalanine, causing it to build up to toxic levels. These people are phenylketonurics, and they must avoid all foods with phenylalanine, including some artificial sweeteners which are chemically similar.

Answer 4

The warning that you see on the sides of the diet coke can is there to warn people who have Phenylketonuria (PKU). Phenylalanine (Phe) is an amino acid that is found in protein and people with PKU cannot properly break down this amino acid due to a defiency in an enzyme found in the liver called Phenylalanine Hydroxolase (PAH).

Because of this Phenylketonurics must follow a special low protein diet. This means no meat, diary, beans, nuts, few grain products etc. So their diets mainly consist of fruits, vegetables, starchy foods and specially modified foods that a made to imitate high protein foods. They also have to drink a special metabolic formula to get nutrients they are missing and they have to practice routine blood tests to check the amount of Phe in their blood.

Without this proper treatment during infancy people with PKU could become mentally retarded. Without this treatment later in life things like headaches, dizzyness, vomitting, tremors/shakes, lack of energy, poor concentration and eventually if Phe blood levels are to high lower IQ and siezures. BUT because of this diet people with PKU can live and function like everybody else without PKU.

Diet cokes contain aspartame, which is basically made purely of Phe. Because of this companies that use aspartame in their products are required to put the "Phenylkeonturics: contains Phenylalanine" warning on their containers. They have to put this there so that Phenylketonurics know not to eat that (because in most cases aspartame contains way more Phe then Phenylketonurics should have). This warning can also be found on many other diet sodas and various gums.

So unless you have PKU (which you don't because if you did and it was untreated you would most likely be mentally retarded) you do not need to worry about this warning. Although it is nice to know that people notices these warnings.

Answer 5

Phenylalanine is an α-amino acid with the formula HO2CCH(NH2)CH2C6H5. This essential amino acid is classified as nonpolar because of the hydrophobic nature of the benzyl side chain. The codons for L-phenylalanine are UUU and UUC. It is a white, powdery solid. L-Phenylalanine (LPA) is an electrically-neutral amino acid, one of the twenty common amino acids used to biochemically form proteins, coded for by DNA.

ZACH

Answer 6

What Is Phenylalanine

Answer 7

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phenylalanine is an amino acid. It is "bad" for someone that can't metabolize that amino acid. So it is not bad for you unless you are classed as a phenylketonuric. If you were, trust me you would know. Diet coke is way better than drinking regular coke. Soda is full of empty calories.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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