Phenethylamine (PEA)

Also known as beta-phenethylamine or 2-phenethylamine.  PEA is a biogenic amine synthesized from the amino acid phenylalanine.  Although it’s found in a number of foods, chocolate is the best-known source of dietary PEA.  PEA was once thought to be the reason people are “chocoholics (due to its mood-elevating properties); but it’s too rapidly metabolized to be very effective.

Phenethylamine is the “parent” molecule for a number of biologically active “substituted phenethylamines,” including several neurotransmitters (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine), ephedrine, amphetamine/methamphetamine and mescaline.