Phenylalanine as a sweetener
Although it is true that phenylalanine It is characterized by being an essential amino acid (that is, fundamental for our body because it is not capable of producing them by itself), which among other basic functions our brain uses for the production of noradrenaline, is also known to be part of aspartame, a artificial sweetener that in a very common - and usual - way we can find in different foods, beverages and dietetic products.
In fact almost certainly, at some point, you'll have taken a look at your usual sweetened soft drink (for example, the Pepsi Light or the popular Coca Cola Zero) and you will have noticed the following message: It contains a source of phenylalanine.
Indeed, it is a part of the composition of aspartame, an artificial sweetener that we find in most dietetic foods, being very common its use in soft drinks.
Why is it warned that a product contains a source of phenylalanine?
The main reason is that the use of phenylalanine products is not recommended either by pregnant women or by patients with phenylketonuria (ie phenylketonurics).
In the case of phenylketonuria, it is a genetic disease due to the lack of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase or dihydropterin reductase, whose deficiency causes the phenylalanine to degrade in an alternate metabolic pathway towards phenylpyruvate, a neurotoxic that severely affects the brain during development and growth. Precisely the accumulation of phenylpyruvate cause phenylpyruvic oligophrenia, which is characterized by an IQ of less than 20.
As regards the consumption of aspartame, a daily limit value of 40 mg / kg body weight is recommended in the European Union. For example, for a 70 kg person. It is equivalent to 2800 mg, which evidently means a tremendously excessive amount, which is why it is usual that the recommended consumption is not exceeded.
Image | reggie35 This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist.
