What is "phenylalanine"?!
What is "phenylalanine"?
Im drinking my Diet Coke Plus and it says it Contains this. Is phenylalanine Bad for you?
Answers:
Phenylalanine is an essential alpha-amino acid and is used in sugarless foods and beverage such as Diet Coke Plus as you have mentioned.
There is a genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) which is an inability to metabolize phenylalanine. Individuals with this disorder are known as "phenylketonurics", and must abstain from consumption of phenylalanine. This also holds true for pregnant women with hyperphenylalanine (high levels of phenylalanine in blood) because they will not properly metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine.
Hence, the FDA requires the warning label: "Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine"
This has nothing to do with the product "Diet Coke Plus" itself, but in all sugarless foods that use Aspartme, an artificial sweetener.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/phenylalani...
It has been said to cause migraines and other neurological problems. Put it in a search engine you can find out all kinds of stuff about it. I think it is very bad for you, as are any of the "fake" sugars. Go to a health food store, they have healthy alternatives to sugar.
Phenylalanine is an ingredient used to make aspartame. Aspartame is a substitute used instead of sugar in diet soft drinks and minty gum. If you have too much of phenylalanine or aspartame, it can clog your arteries. This is why it is better to drink soft drinks with sugar instead of aspartame because it is easier to burn sugar than it is to burn aspartame(which you can't). ;) Enjoy your soft drink...