You cannot eat peanut butter with PKU.
People with PKU cannot eat peanut butter as peanut butter contains protein and people with PKU cannot eat foods with whole protein such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, milk, yogurt, cheese or other dairy products.
Even regular bread, rice, pasta, cereals that contain protein are not permitted either.
If a PKU person eats protein it can lead to high levels of phenylalanine as the phenylalanine can build up in the body to harmful levels and lead to cell changes inside the brain which can cause severe brain damage.
Low protein and protein free foods are best for people that have PKU.
The race that PKU is most common in is people of Native American European ancestry.
You can in rare cases get PKU as an adult.
Although it is principally a childhood disorder, in rare cases, the first signs of PKU may develop in late adulthood resembling common neurological diseases.
If PKU goes untreated the untreated PKU can damage the persons brain and nervous system and can lead to learning disabilities.
Other things that can occur in a person with untreated PKU are behavioral issues like self harm and frequent temper tantrums.
However with early enough and proper treatment PKU does not usually cause any symptoms or issues.
PKU is also known as Phenylketonuria which is a disorder that is rare but inherited and causes an amino acid called phenylalanine to build up in the body.
The PKU condition is caused by a change in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene that helps create the needed enzymes that are required to break down phenylalanine.
Children with PKU can't process an amino acid called phenylalanine.
Phenylalanine is in many common foods.
But it can build up in the bloodstream of children with PKU.
This can cause growth, mood, behavior, and thinking problems, as well as other problems ranging from mild to severe.
Foods that contain large amounts of phe must be eliminated from a low phe diet.
These foods are high protein foods, such as milk, dairy products, meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, and nuts.
These foods cause high blood phe levels for people with PKU.
Although it is principally a childhood disorder, in rare cases, the first signs of PKU may develop in late adulthood resembling common neurological diseases.