TriVita on L-Phenylalanine

Let’s Separate Facts from Fantasy – This essential protein provides a wealth of health benefits
By Brazos Minshew, TriVita Chief Science Officer

Myth: L-Phenylalanine (LPA) causes strokes and is generally bad for you because it is an ingredient in toxic artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame.

Fact: L-Phenylalanine is an essential protein. Your thyroid activity depends on a rich supply of LPA. Phenylalanine improves mood, helps your body reduce pain – especially migraine pain – and improves mental function. LPA is found in TriVita’s Energy Now!® product.

Factoid: Just as fire can warm our homes, it can also cause destruction in a house fire. LPA is an essential protein that fuels energy production; aspartame is an artificial sweetener that causes destructive inflammation in test animals.

Phenylalanine and energy

Energy is more than just a passing mood. It is a complex series of biochemical and electrical processes very much like a long series of dominos all lined up and ready for the first one to be tipped over. The first step in the production of energy is to select a healthy source of basic nutrients: sugars, proteins and fats. Sugars provide a rapid but brief donation of energy. Proteins donate five times more energy than sugar. Healthy fats donate eight times more! These three nutrients make up the basis for energy production. The end result of selecting the proper foods and supplements contributes to the way you feel and how much energy you have for your day.

In order for you to feel energetic you must tip over that first domino by selecting healthy foods. Supplements may also help support your metabolism. With dominos, each one that falls requires the energy from the domino before, then donates energy to the one after. In human metabolism energy begets energy in much the same way: Each transition donates energy to the next step in the energy cycle.

We must break down the nutrients from our foods into specific chemicals. That’s where LPA enters into the picture. This marvelous protein feeds your energy cycle, your thyroid hormone cycle and balances your brain chemistry.

LPA breaks down into Tyrosine to feed your thyroid. Healthy thyroid function makes you feel energetic. LPA also protects you against stress. Reducing stress helps you feel energetic. Next, LPA feeds the production of a brain chemical called phenyethylamine (PEA). PEA is very special.

Do you remember your first kiss? If you are like most people your world was aglow with enthusiasm for days afterward. You probably had significant energy and you needed very little sleep. You likely lost your appetite and experienced less pain. These are all the effects of PEA, which is also called the hormone of love!

LPA creates Tyrosine for healthy thyroid function. LPA also creates PEA and gives you a feeling of endless energy while helping to reduce pain, appetite and fatigue. Then, PEA donates energy to the next dominos in the chain and creates other, even more potent brain chemicals: L-Dopa, Dopamine and nor-Epinephrine.

This is called the dopamine cascade. Think of it as the final series of dominos in the energy chain. In the dopamine cascade the result of LPA metabolism is not just one domino falling. The end result of the dopamine cascade is an energy donation to as many as 4 trillion nerve synapses – tiny reservoirs of energy all over your body – from your head to your toes.

Energy becomes energy

The renowned actress, Sarah Bernhardt, once said that life begets life and energy becomes energy. The type of energy Ms. Bernhardt described was euphoria generated by optimism, anticipation and accomplishment. This energy is fueled by healthy sugars, fats and proteins – especially LPA: the energy protein.

Source: TriVita VitaJournal March 2009 pg 11.