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Foods rich in phenylalanine are all those that contain high or medium protein content such as meat, fish, milk and dairy products, in addition to being found in grains, vegetables and some fruits, such as pinecone.
Phenylalanine, is an amino acid that the human body does not produce, but that is necessary for the maintenance of health, and therefore it must be consumed through food. However people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria need to control their intake, as the body cannot digest, and when it accumulates in the body, phenylalanine leads to problems such as delays in mental development and seizures. Better understand what phenylketonuria is and how the diet is.
List of foods containing phenylalanine
The main foods rich in phenylalanine are:
- Red meats: like beef, lamb, sheep, pig, rabbit;
- White meats: fish, seafood, poultry such as chicken, turkey, goose, duck;
- Meat products: sausage, bacon, ham, sausage, salami;
- Animal viscera: heart, guts, gizzards, liver, kidneys;
- Milk and dairy products: yogurts, cheeses;
- Eggs: and products that have it in the recipe;
- Oilseeds: almonds, peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts;
- Wheat flour: foods that contain it as an ingredient;
- Grain: soy and derivatives, chickpeas, beans, peas, lentils;
- Industrialized foods: chocolate, gelatin, cookies, breads, ice cream;
- Fruits: tamarind, sweet passion fruit, raisin banana.
In cases of people with phenylketonuria, it is advisable that the amount eaten or the exclusion of food from the diet, be regulated according to the severity of the disease and should follow the guidance of the doctor and nutritionist, who will indicate the appropriate treatment. Here's an example of what phenylketonuric food might be like.
Amount of phenylalanine in food
The table below shows some foods with the highest to the lowest amount of phenylalanine in 100 g:
Food | Amount of phenylalanine |
Green smell | 862 mg |
Chamomile | 612 mg |
Milk sweet | 416 mg |
Dehydrated rosemary | 320 mg |
Turmeric | 259 mg |
Purple garlic | 236 mg |
UHT cream | 177 mg |
Stuffed cookie | 172 mg |
Pea (pod) | 120 mg |
Arugula | 97 mg |
Pequi | 85 mg |
Yam | 75 mg |
Spinach | 74 mg |
Beet | 72 mg |
Carrot | 50 mg |
Jackfruit | 52 mg
|
Eggplant | 45 mg |
Manioc | 42 mg |
Scarlet eggplant | 40 mg |
Chuchu | 40 mg |
Bell pepper | 38 mg |
cashew | 36 mg |
Cucumber | 33 mg |
Pitanga | 33 mg |
Khaki | 28 mg |
Grape | 26 mg |
Pomegranate | 21 mg |
Gala apple | 10 mg |
Bibliography>
- NATIONAL NEONATAL SCREENING PROGRAM (PNTN). Phenylketonuria (PKU). Available in: . Accessed on 31 Aug 2020
- ANVISA. Phenylalanine content in food . Available in: . Accessed on 31 Aug 2020
- NATURE. Phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency: diagnosis and management guideline. Available in: . Accessed on 31 Aug 2020