Evidence that phenylalanine may not provide the full needs for aromatic amino acids in children

Phenylalanine is nutritionally classified as an indispensable amino acid and can be converted to tyrosine by phenylalanine hydroxylation. The initial goal of the present study was to determine the aromatic amino acid (phenylalanine plus tyrosine) requirements in healthy children fed a diet without tyrosine by using the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method using lysine as the indicator amino acid. Healthy school-age children (n = 5) were fed in random order a diet with eight graded intakes of phenylalanine without tyrosine. The requirement was determined by the rate of recovery of (CO2)-C-13 from L-[1-C-13]lysine oxidation ((FCO2)-C-13). Phenylalanine (total aromatic amino acid) requirement, in the absence of tyrosine, for children was determined to be 28 mg/kg/d, which was only 64% of the adult requirement, which is biologically absurd. A possible reason for the lower estimate of phenylalanine requirement could be lower phenylalanine hydroxylation rate in children, which is supported by the finding of lower urinary tyrosine/phenylalanine ratios in children compared with adults. In conclusion, this study indicates that phenylalanine may not provide the total needs for aromatic amino acids in children fed an amino acid-based diet without tyrosine.