Which Foods Naturally Contain Phenylethylamine?

Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a central nervous–system stimulant that occurs naturally in people, animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria, according to the American Chemical Society, a nonprofit chemistry organization. Foods made from cocoa beans may contain PEA, according to a study.
While eating excessive amounts of chocolate isn’t likely to provide a lot of PEA, you might be able to help boost the levels in your body by consuming other foods rich in the amino acid phenylalanine. PEA is also available in supplement form and is used to alter appetite, mood, and mental alertness, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has banned its use in sports.
Talk with your doctor before trying PEA or phenylalanine in food or supplement form. They can have side effects, contraindications, and interactions.
People with the health condition phenylketonuria (PKU), for example, can’t consume foods that contain phenylalanine, according to Rupa Health, a lab test provider. Similarly, people with chronic kidney disease may be advised to eat less food that’s rich in certain amino acids, including phenylalanine.
Chocolate Contains PEA

Chocolate contains PEA from cocoa beans.
Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty ImagesChocolate famously contains phenylethylamine. But one scientist’s erroneous conclusion, shored up by creative copy writing used to sell candy, has led to the myth that PEA can act as a medicinal food when it comes to mood, according to McGill University in Montreal.
Unfortunately, the PEA in chocolate is believed to be metabolized during the digestive process before it can ever reach the brain, according to McGill University. Researchers using simulated digestion in a lab found that chocolate made with under-fermented cocoa beans allowed PEA to remain available for intestinal absorption, however, according to a study. More research in humans is needed to confirm whether PEA in chocolate is ever absorbed, and if so, how much.
Beans, Lentils, Nuts, and Seeds Provide Phenylalanine

Lentils contain the amino acid converted by the body into PEA.
Oxana Denezhkina/iStock/Getty ImagesPhenylalanine is the amino acid in foods that your body uses to make PEA, according to PubChem. It’s one of nine essential amino acids, meaning your body can’t produce it on its own — it can only come from food sources.
Foods high in phenylalanine include chickpeas, beans, and lentils, according to Parkview Health, a healthcare system based in Indiana and Ohio. Soybeans and soy products like tofu, tempeh, and soy milk also contain phenylalanine, according to MetwareBio, a biotechnology company.
Nuts and seeds contain the amino acid, too. These include almonds, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seeds are also an excellent source of phenylalanine, according to BOC Sciences, a chemical supply company.
Meat, Seafood, and Poultry Contain Phenylalanine

Salami, like all animal proteins, contains phenylalanine.
al62/iStock/Getty ImagesAnimal proteins contain all nine essential amino acids, including phenylalanine, according to Piedmont, a healthcare system based in Georgia. This means the amino acid can be found in meats like:
- Beef
- Lamb
- Goat
- Pork
- Turkey
- Goose
- Chicken
Seafood including cod, salmon, tilapia, tuna, crab, lobster, shrimp, and other sources provide it as well.
Dairy and Eggs Also Have Phenylalanine

Eggs contain phenylalanine, as well as the eight other essential amino acids.
Jozsef Szasz-Fabian/iStock/Getty ImagesBecause animal proteins all contain the nine essential amino acids, that means dairy and eggs provide phenylalanine as well, according to Piedmont. So milk, yogurt, kefir, skyr, hard cheeses, soft cheeses, curd-based cheeses (like cottage cheese and ricotta), ice cream, and any other product containing dairy protein will offer phenylalanine.
Both the yolks and whites of eggs also contain the amino acid, according to a study.
- American Chemical Society: 2-Phenylethylamine
- Foods: Varietal Influence on the Formation of Bioactive Amines During the Processing of Fermented Cocoa With Different Pulp Contents
- World Anti-Doping Agency: Elimination Profile of Orally Administered Phenylethylamine
- Rupa Health: Phenylalanine
- McGill University: Phenylethylamine is Said To Stoke the Fire of Love. Here Comes the Water Bucket.
- McGill University: Dark Chocolate Reduces Risk of Diabetes? Don’t Count on It
- Food Chemistry: Bioaccessibility of Bioactive Amines in Dark Chocolates Made With Different Proportions of Under-Fermented and Fermented Cocoa Beans
- PubChem: L-Phenylalanine
- Parkview Health: How Can I Eat Enough Protein on a Plant-Forward Diet?
- MetWareBio: Phenylalanine: Essential Roles, Metabolism, and Health Impacts
- BOC Sciences: Phenylalanine: Definition, Structure, Benefits, Sources and Uses
- Piedmont: What Is a Complete Protein?
- MW Journal of Science: Investigation of Amino Acids Content of Different Poultry Eggs Types

Sylvia E. Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT
Medical Reviewer
Sylvia Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, CPT, is an internationally recognized nutrition expert who is relentlessly passionate about helping people fall in love with creating and enjoying delicious, safe, and nutritious foods.
As a food and nutrition communications professional, Dr. Klinger is a global nutrition professor, award-winning author, and the founder of Hispanic Food Communications.
She is on the board at Global Rise to build a formal community nutrition program as part of an ambitious initiative to create a regenerative food system in Uganda in partnership with tribal and community leaders. This program included an extensive training session on food safety and sanitation that displayed cultural sensitivity and various communication strategies and incentives to spread these important food safety and sanitation messages into the communities.
Her Hispanic background fuels her passion for nutrition, leading her to empower and encourage those in her community through the foods they enjoy in their kitchens. At the same time, she understands everyone’s needs are different and seeks to individualize nutrition and exercise to best fit each person and their journey to a happy, safe, and healthy life.
Her latest book, The Little Book of Simple Eating, was published in 2018 in both Spanish and English.
In her spare time, Klinger explores food and culture all over the world with her family, realizing the power a healthy lifestyle has to keep people together.

Don Amerman
Author
Don Amerman has spent his entire professional career in the editorial field. For many years he was an editor and writer for The Journal of Commerce. Since 1996 he has been freelancing full-time, writing for a large number of print and online publishers including Gale Group, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Greenwood Publishing, Rock Hill Works and others.