|
|
Amino Acids Amino Acid Phenylalanine: Food Sources, Health Benefits and Side Effects of Phenylalanine
L-phenylalanine is found in most foods that contain protein such as beef, poultry, pork, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, soy products (including soy protein isolate, soybean flour, and tofu), and certain nuts and seeds. The artificial sweetener aspartame is also high in phenylalanine.
D-phenylalanine is synthesized in the laboratory and is not found naturally in food.
Table: List of select foods containing phenylalanine (ordered from high to low content, grams/100 grams of food portion)
| Phenylalaninne food sources |
Phenylalanine content (grams/100 gram food) |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, raw | 1.91 |
| Cowpea, catjang, mature seeds, raw | 1.39 |
| Lentils, raw | 1.38 |
| Peanuts, all types, raw | 1.34 |
| Nuts, almonds | 1.15 |
| Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw | 1.03 |
| Flax seed , raw | 0.96 |
| Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from raw and stone ground kernels | 0.94 |
| Salami, Italian, pork | 0.94 |
| Beef, round, top round, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, raw | 0.88 |
| Beef, top sirloin, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, raw | 0.87 |
| Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw | 0.86 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, raw | 0.78 |
| Fish, salmon , pink, raw | 0.78 |
| Nuts, walnuts, english | 0.71 |
| Chicken, broilers or fryers, wing, meat and skin, raw | 0.70 |
| Egg, white, raw, fresh | 0.69 |
| Egg, whole, raw, fresh | 0.68 |
| Egg, yolk, raw, fresh | 0.68 |
| Sausage, Italian, pork, raw | 0.48 |
| Milk, sheep, fluid | 0.28 |
| Hummus | 0.26 |
| Pork, fresh, separable fat, raw | 0.22 |
| Milk, goat, fluid | 0.16 |
| Soy milk, fluid | 0.15 |
| Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat | 0.15 |
| Asparagus | 0.08 |
| Snap beans, green, raw | 0.07 |
| Milk, human, mature, fluid | 0.05 |
Data source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19 (2006
References:
1) The Chemistry of Amino Acids, University of Arizona, Dept. of Biology.
2) Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Index: Supplements - Phenylalanine, University of Maryland.
3) Amino Acids and Protein, University of Cinncinati.