It is less clear whether DPA may help people with LBP, though there are a small number of reports to that effect, including one uncontrolled report of 27 of 37 people with LBP experiencing "good to excellent relief.
In a Japanese clinical trial, 4 grams of DPA per day was given to people with chronic low back pain half an hour before they received acupuncture. Although not statistically significant, the results were good or excellent for 18 of the Doctors typically recommend 1,—2, mg per day of DLPA. Certain amino acids have been found to raise pain thresholds and increase tolerance to pain.
One of these, a synthetic amino acid called D-phenylalanine DPA , decreases pain by blocking the enzymes that break down endorphins and enkephalins, the body's natural pain-killing chemicals. DPA may also produce pain relief by other mechanisms, which are not well understood.
In animal studies, DPA decreased chronic pain within 15 minutes of administration and the effects lasted up to six days. It also decreased responses to acute pain. These findings have been independently verified in at least five other studies. Clinical studies on humans suggest DPA may inhibit some types of chronic pain, but it has little effect on most types of acute pain. Most human research has tested the pain-relieving effects of to 1, mg per day of DPA taken for several weeks of continuous or intermittent use.
The results of this research have been mixed, with some trials reporting efficacy, others reporting no difference from placebo, and some reporting equivocal results. It appears that DPA may only work for some people, but a trial period of supplementation seems worthwhile for many types of chronic pain until more is known.
As early as , preliminary human research showed that DPA made the pain-inhibiting effects of acupuncture stronger. One controlled animal study and two controlled trials in humans showed that DPA taken the day before acupuncture increased the effectiveness of acupuncture in reducing both acute dental and chronic low back pain.
In a small, four-week trial, D-phenylalanine DPA supplementation improved motor control and tremors in people with Parkinson's disease. Additional research is needed before the benefits of this treatment can be considered proven.
DPA should not be taken with L-dopa as it may interfere with the transport of L-dopa to the brain. People with Parkinson's disease should consult with a physician before using DPA. Several clinical trials, including one double-blind trial, indicated that LPA 50 mg per 2. LPA alone also produced a more modest repigmentation in some people.
A group of Spanish doctors reported on their experience using LPA over a six-year period. Some of the people with vitiligo received LPA 50 or mg per 2. Kenneth Blum and researchers at the University of Texas have examined neurotransmitter deficiencies in alcoholics. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals the body makes to allow nerve cells to pass messages of pain , touch, thought, etc.
Amino acids are the precursors of these neurotransmitters. In double-blind research, a group of alcoholics were treated with 1. This nutritional supplement regimen led to a significant reduction in withdrawal symptoms and decreased stress in alcoholics compared to the effects of placebo.
Supplementation with D-phenylalanine DPA , a synthetic variation of the amino acid , L-phenylalanine LPA , has reduced chronic pain due to osteoarthritis in a preliminary trial. In that study, participants took mg three to four times per day, with pain relief beginning in four to five weeks.
Other preliminary trials have confirmed the effect of DPA in chronic pain control, but a double-blind trial found no benefit. DPA inhibits the enzyme that breaks down some of the body's natural painkillers, substances called enkephalins, which are similar to endorphins.
An increase in the amount of enkephalins may explain the reported pain-relieving effect of DPA. Phenylalanine should be taken between meals, because protein found in food may compete for uptake of phenylalanine into the brain, potentially reducing its effect. D-phenylalanine has been used with mixed results to treat chronic pain , including pain caused by RA.
No research has evaluated the effectiveness of DL-phenylalanine, a related supplement, in treating people with RA. The effect of either form of phenylalanine in the treatment of people with RA remains unproven.
DLPA has been used in amounts ranging from 75—1, mg per day. This compound can have powerful effects on mood and on the nervous system, and therefore DLPA should be taken only under medical supervision. LPA has been used in amounts up to 3. For best results, phenylalanine should be taken between meals, because the protein present in food can interfere with the uptake of phenylalanine into the brain, potentially reducing its effect.
LPA is found in most foods that contain protein. DPA does not normally occur in food. However, when phenylalanine is synthesized in the laboratory, half appears in the L-form and the other half in the D-form. These two compounds can also be synthesized individually, but it is more expensive to do so.
The combination supplement DLPA is often used because of the lower cost and because both components exert different health-enhancing effects.
People whose diets are very low in protein may develop a deficiency of LPA, although this is believed to be very uncommon. People with phenylketonuria must not supplement with phenylalanine. Some research suggests that people with tardive dyskinesia may process phenylalanine abnormally.
Until more is known, it makes sense for people with this condition to avoid phenylalanine supplementation. LPA competes with several other amino acids for uptake into the body and the brain. Therefore, for best results, phenylalanine should be taken between meals, or away from protein-containing foods. People taking prescription or over-the-counter medications should consult a physician before taking DLPA.
The maximum amount of DLPA that is safe is unknown. However, consistent toxicity in healthy people has not been reported with 1, mg per day or less of DLPA, except for occasional nausea, heartburn , or transient headaches.
When mg of LPA per 2. Although no serious adverse effects have been reported in humans taking phenylalanine, amounts greater than 1, mg per day should be supervised by a doctor. PEA improves mood as rapidly as amphetamine but does not produce tolerance. Gaby, M. D-phenylalanine, is metabolised to phenylethylamine, an amphetamine- like compound that occurs normally in the human brain and has been shown to have mood-elevating effects. Decreased urinary levels of PEA suggesting a deficiency have been found in some depressed patients.
PEA can be synthesised from L-phenylalanine; a large proportion of this amino acid is preferentially converted to L-tyrosine. D-phenylalanine is therefore the preferred substrate for increasing the synthesis of PEA—although L-phenylalanine would also have a mild antidepressant effect because of its conversion to L-tyrosine and its partial conversion to PEA.
PEA has been identified as one of the chemicals involved with love and monogamy. These chemicals, including dopamine, norepinephrine and phenylethylamine act on the limbic system, which is the emotional centre of the brain, and may be responsible for the feelings of euphoria and ecstasy experienced during new love. Scientists propose that these chemicals wear off after a few months to a few years and may explain why people fall out of love, or take couples to the place where real love begins.
Is there a love and monogamy pill in our future? If so, it may very well include significant amounts of PEA. The phenylethylamine in chocolate is believed to work by making the brain release b endorphin, an opioid peptide which is the driving force behind its pleasurable effects.
It is related to amphetamines but without the long lasting, potentially dangerous effects. A British research team reports early findings suggesting that moderate exercise increases PEA levels for most people.
Study author E. Ellen Billett, Ph. We hope this information might give doctors more confidence in prescribing exercise for mild depression and as an adjunct to drug therapy. The Nottingham Trent University research team studied 20 healthy young men. All but 2 of the men had increased PEA levels 24 hours after their exercise. The amount of PEA increase varied from person to person. Hector Sabelli, MD, Ph. Now Director of the Chicago Centre for Creative Development, Sabelli says that the new findings fit exactly with all of his own experiments.
Sabelli is not so quick to rule out endorphins, however, and says that the natural compounds probably interact in various ways. Excess phenylethylamine has been invoked particularly in paranoid schizophrenia, in which it is thought to act as an endogenous amphetamine and, therefore, would be antagonized by neuroleptics.
The importance of phenylethylamine in mental disorders is far from fully elucidated but the evolution of phenylethylamine concentrations in relation to symptoms remains a worthwhile investigation for individual psychotic patients.
Beta-phenylethylamine beta-PEA , a biogenic trace amine, acts as a neuromodulator in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway and stimulates the release of dopamine. Phenylethylamine, a possible link to the antidepressant effects of exercise? Br J Sports Med. View Abstract. Does phenylethylamine act as an endogenous amphetamine in some patients? Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. Sign into your account to have access to your paid resources.
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