How to Use phenylalanine in a Sentence

phenylalanine

noun
  • There's a lot of green tea, an okay amount of caffeine, some cayenne pepper, and phenylalanine which can help with your mood.
    — Matt Cooper, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022
  • The test offered a way to detect high levels of phenylalanine, the amino acid that builds up in PKU.
    — Mark Johnson, jsonline.com, 29 Apr. 2022
  • People with the disorder can’t break down an amino acid called phenylalanine—or Phe for short—which is found in high-protein foods like meat and eggs.
    — WIRED, 7 Nov. 2022
  • With a deficiency of the enzyme, phenylalanine and its metabolites can build up in the blood and damage the brain cells.
    — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2023
  • Without the enzyme, phenylalanine can rise to dangerously high levels that damage the brain.
    — Ryan Cross, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Nov. 2022
  • For the trial, the company enrolled 20 adults with high phenylalanine levels.
    — WIRED, 7 Nov. 2022
  • He was born with phenylketonuria (PKU), the build-up of amino acid called phenylalanine in the body which can cause learning disabilities.
    — Eric Walden, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Aug. 2022
  • Tuna contains phenylalanine and tryptophan, both of which have been linked to antidepressant properties.
    — Lindsey Desoto, Rd, Health, 9 Sep. 2024
  • With this knowledge, the family started their child on treatment with a specialized diet including low levels of phenylalanine.
    — Wendy Chung, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2021
  • Certain proteins and amino acids, such as glutamine, arginine, and phenylalanine, can boost GLP-1 release.
    — Sarah Jividen, Health, 17 July 2024
  • If a person had large amounts of phenylalanine in the blood, the disease's signature, bacteria would proliferate; otherwise the bacteria would be held in check.
    — Mark Johnson, jsonline.com, 29 Apr. 2022
  • Because aspartame contains the natural amino acid phenylalanine, people with phenylketonuria should avoid aspartame.
    — Trang Tran, Pharmd, Verywell Health, 26 July 2024
  • Of those, 60 percent—or nine people—saw more than 20 percent reduction in their phenylalanine levels at either the one-week or two-week mark, which was measured via blood draws.
    — WIRED, 7 Nov. 2022
  • Babies are routinely tested for a genetic disorder known as PKU, in which children are born unable to break down an amino acid called phenylalanine.
    — Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2010
  • For now, the only strong health advisory against aspartame is for people with phenylketonuria (PKU) who can't break down the protein phenylalanine which is found in aspartame.
    — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 13 July 2023
  • For example, the primary treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU) is limiting the intake of foods that contain an amino acid called phenylalanine such as meat, dairy, nuts and tofu.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024
  • Some people with a serious health condition called phenylketonuria, which means their bodies cannot process phenylalanine, may have to take supplements, though this is not part of routine clinical practice, as its efficacy is unclear.
    — Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The other six essential amino acids required to build and repair muscle are histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, and tryptophan.
    — Shimite Obialo, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
  • The classic success story is neonatal screening for phenylketonuria [a genetic disorder characterized by the inability to utilize the amino acid phenylalanine], which has saved thousands of children’s brains.
    — Robert Keating, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2010
  • High-quality protein is any protein that contains all of the nine essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine) that our bodies don’t make on their own.
    — USA TODAY, 2 July 2023
  • Nine essential amino acids—histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine—are available only through foods or supplements.
    — Stacey Colino, Time, 27 May 2025
  • Running and other high-intensity exercises have also been shown to suppress appetite by releasing a chemical compound known as Lac-Phe - a combination of lactate and phenylalanine.
    — Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
  • People with a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) disease, a difficulty metabolizing phenylalanine, should avoid or restrict aspartame.
    — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 8 Aug. 2024
  • These amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine – collectively necessary for building muscle, producing enzymes and hormones and maintaining healthy tissue.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
  • When Not to Take Them Together Supplementing with protein powder is not recommended for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a condition that affects the body’s ability to break down the amino acid phenylalanine.
    — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'phenylalanine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: