PHENYLALANINE: Be happy; feel no pain

Almost all of the amino acids convert into some important biochemical compounds that play specific roles in maintaining health. If you know what the body chemicals are and what they do you can get a pretty good idea of what might happen upon consuming a large amount of the amino acid. Phenylalanine (PA) is the primary building block for neurotransmitters that promote alertness, a positive disposition, and, perhaps, pain relief. Therefore it is only logical that this amino acid produces these same qualities in the human body.

Depression
Imipramine, one of the major antidepressant drugs, isn’t as effective as PA, according to several comparative studies. In a dose of 500-3,000 mg, the amino acid, along with vitamin B6, produced an almost immediate improvement in thirty-one out of forty depressed patients The D- and DL- forms of phenylalanine were used in the studies, even though the L- form is the natural one, a fact that holds for all amino acids. The depressive states most influenced by PA are those in which there is an associated apathy and lethargy.

Several mechanisms help explain PA’s effect. In addition to phenylalanine’s role in making adrenaline mimickers, it provides spirit-boosting endorphins. Phenylalanine is the only substance that the body can use to make phenylethylamine (PEA), the slightly stimulating but mind-mellowing chemical in chocolate that’s said to re-create the feeling of being in love. The low PEA levels in depressed subjects show that phenylalanine is not being metabolized. Both pharmaceutical antidepressants and PA will raise PEA levels, demonstrating that they accomplish the same thing.

Caffeine Withdrawal
You probably won’t sink into the depths of depression if you try to kick the coffee habit, but you will initially feel fatigued, particularly upon awaking in the morning. Phenylalanine is a very good substitute eye-opener. Anyone who wants to enhance alertness can try it. Studies repeatedly show that it works under a variety of conditions. Take 500-1,000 mg on an empty stomach, or you may divide the total dose with a matching amount of L-tyrosine, an amino acid with very similar biochemistry. In all cases, note that PA is capable of raising the blood pressure or pulse rate, so it requires a doctor’s supervision.

Pain Relief
A considerable amount of research backs the use of phenylalanine to alleviate arthritis aches, back pain and menstrual cramps, especially in the DL- form. It slows the body’s breakdown of endorphins and other natural painkillers, so their effects will last longer. It also controls inflammation and may even enhance the work of analgesic medications. Daily doses of 1-3 grams work better, I have found, when combined with a diet free of foods that foster inflammatory reactions, including sugary safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and overfried foods. (This contrasts with omega-3 oils, which are anti-inflammatory.) A number of patients tell me they feel DL-phenylalanine’s effect the first day they try it. The relief from dietary restrictions takes somewhat more time to notice.

Vitiligo
A number of studies have concluded that L-phenylala- nine can promote skin repigmentation, helping to diminish the faded blotches caused by vitiligo. Phenylalanine has about the same impact against vitiligo as does L-tyrosine. Creams that contain the amino acid work rather well. To enhance the results, use the nutrient with some copper, which the body needs to produce melanin, a natural pigment.

Neurological Diseases
With some verification of the encouraging results exhibited in a few isolated studies, we might be able to use phenylalanine against multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. More than two decades ago researchers found that the amino acid significantly reduced the severity of Parkinson’s symptoms like depression, speech impediments, limb rigidity and walking difficulty. The hand tremors characteristic of the disease, however continued unabated. The participants in this experiment took 1,250 mg of the amino acid twice a day for just four weeks. Problem is, I haven’t seen the study replicated.

Appetite Suppression
While phenylalanine is used to control the urge to eat, the results aren’t consistent or predictable, ranging from significant appetite suppression to no effect. When it does work, however, it shares with diet pills their intolerable disadvantage: when you stop them, your appetite returns greater than ever.

SUPPLEMENT SUGGESTIONS

You might have received a bad impression about phenylalanine from a widely seen but little understood package label warning: ‘Phenylketonurics: This product contains phenylalanine.’ (So do many foods, including pork, poultry, wheat germ and cheese.) PKU, as it is abbreviated, is a problem only for those people who have the genetic defect that causes severe retardation because they cannot metabolize PA. Therefore people with this disorder should avoid the supplement and all phenylalanine- containing foods at all costs. In an interesting side note, however, some research suggests the similar amino acid tyrosine might provide some relief, implying that the retardation in PKU is actually a consequence of a tyrosine deficiency.

The vast majority of people, though, don’t have PKU, and except for the aforementioned caveat about blood pressure or heart rate, and in cases of tardive dyskinesia or of skin cancer (melanoma) or a brain cancer called gliobastoma multiforme, people can take full advantage of the supplement. To overcome lethargy, depression, fatigue or pain, try taking 250-1,000 mg before mealtime. A similar dose may also help suppress appetite. If you don’t notice an effect, match the nutrient with an equal amount of tyrosine before concluding that it doesn’t work for you.