L-Phenylalanine
Phenylalanine has several functions and health benefits. The genetic codon for phenylalanine was first discovered by J. Heinrich Matthaei and Marshall W. Nirenberg in 1961. L-Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, meaning it cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from food. As an amino acid, L-Phenylalanine provides the building blocks for protein, which is needed for the body’s normal growth and development. L-Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that is used to manufacture various hormones including adrenaline and noradrenaline. It is a precursor to the amino acid, tyrosine and is important for the production of chemical messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters. Phenylalanine is found naturally in the breast milk of mammals. L-phenylalanine can biologically be converted into L-tyrosine, another one of the DNA-encoded amino acids. L-tyrosine in turn is converted into L-DOPA, which is further converted into dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline). The latter three are known as the catecholamines. Phenylalanine uses the same active transport channel as tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Solgar´s L-Phenylalanine capsules is one of Solgar's high quality amino acids supplement products.