We absorb important macronutrients and micronutrients through food, primarily to provide energy for all those meetings and even the occasional gym session. After all, exercise is essential to staying healthy. But the substances contained in food can do so much more.
Phenylalanine, for example, is involved in the synthesis of catecholamines, which act as neurotransmitters in your body. Neurotransmitters can make you more alert, in a better mood, and improve your mental performance. Learn more about how your body achieves this below.
Table of contents
1. What is phenylalanine?
Proteins are one of your body's major building blocks . You need them, among other things, to build muscle . They consist of various amino acids that are held together by peptides.
Your body can produce some of them itself (e.g., alanine, arginine, cysteine, histidine), while others must be obtained through your diet because they are essential (e.g., isoleucine, lysine, methionine) but cannot synthesize on their own . Phenylalanine belongs to this last group, also known as essential amino acids .
This special amino acid occurs in different forms :
- L-Phenylalanine : This amino acid is naturally found in protein-rich foods
- D-Phenylalanine : Purely artificially produced form
- DL-Phenylalanine (DLPA) : Combination of the other two forms
Phenylalanine is involved in the production of important endogenous substances, including tyrosine, also an amino acid. Tyrosine is formed by the hydroxylation of phenylalanine, a process catalyzed by the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase.
Tyrosine performs many important functions in your body. It plays a role in the production of hormones such as thyroxine (thyroid hormone) and insulin (which lowers blood sugar levels), as well as neurotransmitters and catecholamines (the feel-good hormone dopamine , as well as noradrenaline and adrenaline).
The latter act as neurotransmitters that stimulate nerve cells. Throughout the body, these cells transmit stimuli (in the form of electrical impulses) via synapses, through which they connect to each other.
For example, if dopamine is released, it ensures that the message “I feel good and motivated” is spread throughout all nerve cells.
Phenylalanine, as a precursor to tyrosine, is therefore indirectly capable of elevating your mood . There is scientific evidence for this.
Researchers were able to demonstrate in a study that an increased concentration of L-phenylalanine, the first intermediate step of dopamine, appears to have a positive effect on your mood and also improves your concentration – especially in stressful situations.
This is especially interesting for those who often indulge in an all-nighter to quickly complete that all-important thesis or simply want to enjoy life to the fullest. [1] [2]
Take-home message #1: Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that the body absolutely needs to produce, among other things, the happiness hormone dopamine. Scientific evidence suggests that, due to its role as an important precursor to dopamine, it also appears to be able to improve your performance, especially in stressful situations—even if you've just pulled an all-nighter and still want to excel.
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2. What is the effect of phenylalanine?
In the long run, it's obviously not a good idea to push your body to 100 percent all the time; after all, it needs time to recover to process all the sensory impressions and new information it's absorbed. If that's the exception, you can help in the short term by taking phenylalanine.
Researchers found that stressed subjects performed significantly better psychomotor performance after consuming the amino acid.
So it makes sense to eat foods rich in phenylalanine and tyrosine on a busy, sleep-deprived day. These precursors produce dopamine and can help you get the most out of yourself.
By the way, your memory performance also benefits . Remember: phenylalanine is first converted to tyrosine, then dopamine, later noradrenaline, and finally adrenaline.
Researchers have proven that people with high adrenaline levels in their blood absorb and retain more information in a shorter time . [3] This amino acid therefore appears to significantly influence your cognitive performance.
Another exciting topic is the connection between phenylalanine and human mood . Scientific studies have addressed this topic and have shown in initial studies that the administration of DL-phenylalanine can reduce symptoms such as fatigue and irritability when used in conjunction with conventional treatment methods. [4]
Since these studies are still in their early stages, no general health statements can be made from them yet!
The underlying mechanism, however, deserves closer examination : Phenylalanine impedes the work of enzymes that, in turn, contribute to the breakdown of endorphins and enkephalins. Therefore, endorphin levels are higher after consuming phenylalanine. [5]
This means that, among other things, less GABA (neurotransmitter) is released , which in turn correlates with an increased release of the happiness hormone dopamine .
The body may therefore be in a better mood for longer. This effect can also help you during intense workouts. Phenylalanine is sometimes used as a remedy for muscle cramps . [6]
In this case, the muscle fibers contract violently and painfully without any effort on your part. Therefore, an adequate supply of minerals such as magnesium , calcium , potassium , and sodium (found in nuts, avocados, bananas, and dairy products, among others) is extremely important.
During a tough workout, you should also always remember to drink enough—both before and after. This will prevent you from slipping into the red and ensure your body's cells remain responsive.
Take-home message #2: Since phenylalanine is also used to produce adrenaline, it can stimulate the body and make you feel better, thus increasing your resistance to stress.
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3. In which foods does phenylalanine occur?
As mentioned above, you must consume phenylalanine through food or supplements because your body is unable to produce the amino acid on its own.
If you maintain a healthy, balanced diet, you're generally on the safe side. The question that's probably popping up in your mind now is: Which foods contain particularly high levels of this valuable amino acid?
Amino acids are the tiny building blocks of proteins. Therefore, phenylalanine is found primarily in foods with a high protein content.
- pumpkin seeds
- poultry
- chicken egg
- unpolished rice
- pork
- Salmon
- Peas
- walnuts
If you want to ensure you absorb the phenylalanine as effectively as possible , make sure you also consume vitamin C and vitamin B6 . It's most effective in this combination .
Did you know that phenylalanine is also found in the sweetener aspartame? Products sweetened with it must therefore be labeled "contains phenylalanine."
This protects people who, due to a genetic metabolic defect, cannot break down the amino acid. In these cases, phenylalanine accumulates in the body, leading to a dangerous oversupply. A low-protein diet can prevent this.
4. What is the daily requirement of phenylalanine?
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) tells you how much phenylalanine you should consume per day to prevent deficiency symptoms. The experts currently recommend a daily intake of 25 mg/kg of body weight for adults. So, if you weigh 75 kg, that's 1.875 g of phenylalanine.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is much more cautious . It recommends a total intake of 14 mg of tyrosine and phenylalanine per kilogram of body weight is completely sufficient.
Your actual needs also depend on your tyrosine supply. If this is 0, you should consume more phenylalanine, as one amino acid is converted into the other. In this case, you should consume 38-52 mg/kg of phenylalanine per day.
However, if sufficient tyrosine is already consumed through food, the recommended amount drops to approximately 9 mg of phenylalanine. [7] Ideally , the ratio of phenylalanine to tyrosine should be 60:40 . Under this condition, your body can make optimal use of both amino acids.
If you do a lot of sports , are constantly stressed at work, or often have trouble sleeping , you should pay particular attention to ensuring your body has an adequate supply of phenylalanine ! [8]
To explain: When your body is under pressure, your need for phenylalanine increases. If you don't consume enough of the amino acid, your body becomes unbalanced, which can usually be corrected through a healthy diet or phenylalanine supplements.
If you consume too much phenylalanine , it's not a big deal. If you're healthy, your body is able to simply excrete the excess without any side effects in an emergency. Before doing so, however, it will do everything it can to convert it into other urgently needed substances.
Take-home message #3 : How much phenylalanine you should consume per day also depends on your supply of the amino acid tyrosine. In stressful situations, your phenylalanine requirement increases, which can be met through dietary supplements or phenylalanine-rich foods.
5. Buy phenylalanine – what you should pay attention to
Basically, a balanced, healthy diet contains as much phenylalanine as you need , as we've already explained. If you're not a fan of the foods listed above or prefer protein shakes, the amino acid is also available as a dietary supplement in its pure form (as a loose powder) and is usually vegan.
Most manufacturers typically offer the nutrient in pre-portioned capsules with a dosage of between 500 and 750 mg. However, in this case, more isn't automatically better.
Only those with special requirements, such as strenuous training, a very stressful daily routine, or those preparing for a competition, should consume the increased amount with sufficient fluid. Pregnant women, however, are not recommended to take isolated phenylalanine (DLPA).
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6. Conclusion
Phenylalanine is one of the essential amino acids that your body can only absorb with the help of a proper diet. This amino acid is the starting product for many hormones and thus indirectly contributes to your mood, for example. It is particularly well absorbed by your body when combined with vitamins C and B6.
7. Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10633491
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7794222
[3] https://d-nb.info/1027184138/34
[4] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01670277?LI=true
[5] http://www.jbc.org/content/264/22/12849.full.pdf
[6] Bunkahle, Andreas (2017): Orthomolecular Medicine, Volume 2: Amino Acids and Trace Elements, BoD – Book on Demand, Norderstedt, p. 53f.
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17513429
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