Q. What do you mean by Lofenalac?
Lofenalac is a formula which is nutritionally complete except for phenylalanine. This formula is the main diet for the infants suffering from PKU. The diet should be progressed as for a normal infant and child. Utmost care should be taken while introducing new foods to them. Effort should be taken to develop a variety of recipes using foods low in phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is found in milk, cheese, eggs, fish, meat, beans, nuts, and infant formulas (both regular and soy), and to a lesser extent in cereals, vegetables and fruit. People with PKU cannot break down phenylalanine into another amino acid, tyrosine. Phenylalanine then builds up in the bloodstream and causes brain damage as you learnt earlier. To avoid this, a person can eat a healthy diet that includes a low-phenylalanine formula, fruits, vegetables, sugars and other low-protein foods.