LowproteinLIVING

Alcohol

• Some alcoholic drinks contain phenylalanine.
If you choose to have these drinks you must count them as exchanges in the usual way.

• Alcoholic drinks that do not contain phenylalanine will not affect blood phenylalanine levels.
However the effect of drinking too much alcohol is the same for people with and without PKU!

Sensible drinking recommendations:
• These are guidelines set by the Government to give guidance on the maximum safe amount of alcohol that could be drunk in a week.

1 unit alcohol = 1/2 pint beer, lager or cider
1 small glass wine
1 measure spirits

Maximum Safe Recommended Intake:
Men 21 units/week
Women 14 units/week (avoid in pregnancy)

These units of alcohol are not the same as phenylalanine exchanges.

Aspartame in drinks

• By law drinks that contain more than 1.2% v/v alcohol do not have to declare whether they contain aspartame on the label. “Diet” alcoholic drinks e.g. Hooch Light are more likely to contain aspartame.
• Some beer and lager may contain aspartame. The following companies have confirmed they do not use it:
Calsberg Tetley
Bass
Whitbread
United Distillers and Vintners UK

• Check that any mixers e.g. tonic water, coke, lemonade are free from aspartame (see data sheet Aspartame for further information).

SHS International would like to thank Susan Durham-Shearer, Maggie Lilburn and Dr Philip Lee with the support of PKU patients at the Metabolic Clinic, University College London Hospital. First published in the PKU FiloFax 2001

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