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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Leor on October 15, 2002, at 12:06:18
Hello. I live in Ottawa and am looking for a local supply of Phenylalanine (DPA). As other Canadian readers may be aware, it is illegal to sell this substance but legal to possess it in this great country of ours. I have been told that some health food stores owners will, nonetheless, keep a small supply of DPA for sale. (After all, it's not banned because it poses any verifiable health risk but rather because the drug companies have sucessfully lobbied against its availability)
Posted by IsoM on October 15, 2002, at 15:16:02
In reply to FINDING PHENYLANLININE SUPPLEMENTS IN OTTAWA, posted by Leor on October 15, 2002, at 12:06:18
Leor, I'm seriously asking why you would even want a source of d-phenylalanine? Are you aware that it's the mirror image of l-phenylalanine?
Phenylalanine exists in two forms as do all amino acids but the body is only able to make use of the left-handed version of amino acids. The right-handed amino acids are inactive in our body. What you take will only exit your body as it came in with no biological activity occurring.
Unless there's some new record-breaking discovery on effects of right-handed amino acid isomrers, you'll be wasting your money.
You could always give taking larger amounts of aspartame a shot - but not something I'd want to do. Asparatame is converted into two amino acids in the body, phenylalanine & asparitic acid. Both will rapidly increase in the blood stream after consumption but using larger amounts of aspartame is not without its own risks.
Posted by Franz on October 16, 2002, at 11:43:12
In reply to Re: FINDING PHENYLANLININE SUPPLEMENTS IN OTTAWA » Leor , posted by IsoM on October 15, 2002, at 15:16:02
Leor, you may find it here in Ottawa
http://www.feelbest.com
but probably with a prescription, ask them, they will tell you.
BTW please don´t use all caps
IsoM, I often enjoy your posts, but this one was such an UN-informed and misleading one.Heller B. Pharmacological and clinical effects of D- phenylalanine in depression and Parkinson’s disease. In: Mosnaim AD, Wolf ME, eds. Noncatecholic Phenylethylamines. Part 1. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker; 1978:397-417.
Beckmann H, Athen D, Olteanu M, et al. DL-phenylalanine versus imipramine: a double-blind controlled study. Arch Psychiat Nervenkr. 1979;227:49-58.
Sabelli HC, Fawcett J, Gusovsky F, et al. Clinical studies on the phenylethylamine hypothesis of affective disorder: urine and blood phenylacetic acid and phenylalanine dietary supplements. J Clin Psychiatry. 1986;47:66-70.
Also, I think Sabelli used the l and DL forms of phenylalanine in combination with selegiline to test the hypothesis that 2-phenylethylamine (PEA) modulates affect, but I do not have the reference now. Related are:
Sabelli HC, Fawcett J, Gusovsky F, Javaid JI, Wynn P, Edwards J, Jeffriess H, Kravitz H. Clinical studies on the phenylethylamine hypothesis of affective disorder: urine and blood phenylacetic acid and phenylalanine dietary supplements. J Clin Psychiatry 1986 Feb;47(2):66-70.
Sabelli HC, Javaid JI. Phenylethylamine modulation of affect: therapeutic and diagnostic implications. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1995 Winter;7(1):6-14. (Review)
There are studies, efficacy is another story.
> Leor, I'm seriously asking why you would even want a source of d-phenylalanine? Are you aware that it's the mirror image of l-phenylalanine?
>
> Phenylalanine exists in two forms as do all amino acids but the body is only able to make use of the left-handed version of amino acids. The right-handed amino acids are inactive in our body. What you take will only exit your body as it came in with no biological activity occurring.
>
> Unless there's some new record-breaking discovery on effects of right-handed amino acid isomrers, you'll be wasting your money.
>
> You could always give taking larger amounts of aspartame a shot - but not something I'd want to do. Asparatame is converted into two amino acids in the body, phenylalanine & asparitic acid. Both will rapidly increase in the blood stream after consumption but using larger amounts of aspartame is not without its own risks.
Posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 13:26:48
In reply to Re: FINDING PHENYLANLININE SUPPLEMENTS IN OTTAWA » IsoM, posted by Franz on October 16, 2002, at 11:43:12
Aw c'mon, Franz, can't you tell me a little nicer that I didn't know enough rather than tell me I was uninformed? I assume, though, that when a comments seems a little harsh to me, it's probably not intended that way by the poster, so I'm mostly kidding. But there's times others will take it to mean a put-down.
Okay, I'm aware of the first three studies only but in what I've read about them & in peer-reviews (I'm no neuropharmacaulogist so I reserve my own opinions - too uninformed), the results of the studies were too inconclusive for scientists to decide. The other related studies I'll check over - thanks for listing them. There's no way I can be aware of everything that's published.
But in the biology I've taken (& some very up-to-date), there's no evidence that right-handed isomers of amino acids have any biological activity in the body. If you have something new that I'm not aware of, I'd seriously love to hear it. Discoveries are being made constantly & I love to learn.
But it's like the debate from Dr. Dave & pharmrep over side effects between the two isomers of citaprolam. There's no hard evidence that a biologically inactive isomer has any real effect on the body. The only sort of things I've read that do is left-handed sugars. Because bio. active mono- & di-saccharides are right-handed, when a person ingests a larger amount of left-handed sugars, they act like a laxative (being indigestible) & give a person diarrhea.
I'm going to check out the other studies, thanks! And let me know of anything else you come across, if you can.
Posted by Dr. Bob on October 16, 2002, at 22:47:01
In reply to Re: Studies.... » Franz, posted by IsoM on October 16, 2002, at 13:26:48
> Aw c'mon, Franz, can't you tell me a little nicer that I didn't know enough rather than tell me I was uninformed? I assume, though, that when a comments seems a little harsh to me, it's probably not intended that way by the poster, so I'm mostly kidding. But there's times others will take it to mean a put-down.
Nicely put, thanks! :-)
Bob
This is the end of the thread.
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