Phenylalanine is an amino acid essential for the human body.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Most proteins in the human body are composed of 21 amino acids.
Phenylalanine contributes to many bodily functions, including:
Phenylalanine promotes protein synthesis and turnover.
Phenylalanine is a precursor for adrenaline which is a hormone that plays an important role in our body’s “fight or flight” response (1).
Phenylalanine is a precursor of dopamine which is a neurotransmitter involved in feelings of pleasure in your brain (2).
Recommended Daily Allowance for a 44-year-old male moderately active, weighting 70 kg and 175 cm tall is 4.3 g (3).
Do you want to know your personal recommendations ?
The FNB (Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine) set its recommendations for phenylalanine at 47 mg per gram of proteins. Phenylalanine can be converted by our body into another amino acids called tyrosine. The FNB specify that the intake of phenylalanine can be complemented by an intake of tyrosine (4).
They also recommend that proteins intake for most people should be between 10 % and 30 % of total Calories. This is called the “adequate macronutrient distribution range” (AMDR) and is based on decreasing risk of chronic disease and providing adequate intake of other nutrients.
In our app, the default value is set at 15 % of total calories, which is inside the AMDR and bases on complementing the values for carbohydrates and fats.
To get your phenylalanine recommendation expressed in gram, we combine the above two recommendations.
The FNB did not establish an upper limit because adequate data from human or animal studies were lacking. This does not mean that there is no potential for adverse effects resulting from high intakes of phenylalanine from dietary supplements. Since data are limited, caution may be warranted.