Mucuna Pruriens

Last Updated: February 21, 2024

Mucuna pruriens, or velvet bean, is a tropical legume known for its high content of L-DOPA, a direct precursor to dopamine. Preliminary research suggests that supplementation with Mucuna pruriens may reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

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Mucuna Pruriens is most often used for

What is Mucuna pruriens?

Mucuna pruriens, commonly known as velvet bean, is a legume from the Fabaceae family; it is found in tropical regions and has various traditional uses in Ayurvedic medicine, including as an aphrodisiac and a treatment for nervous system disorders. The plant is notable for its seeds, which are rich in levodopa (a dopamine precursor) and make it a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease symptoms.

Is Mucuna pruriens edible?

What is the nutritional profile of Mucuna pruriens?

What are Mucuna pruriens’ main benefits?

Mucuna pruriens may effectively alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's disease in a manner comparable to pharmaceutical treatments, and it shows potential benefits for male infertility by improving sperm quality and testosterone levels. Additionally, it may have antivenom properties and could help mitigate cataract development and urinary albumin increase in diabetes.

Does Mucuna pruriens have antidiabetic properties?

What are Mucuna pruriens’ main drawbacks?

Supplementing with Mucuna pruriens can cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness, and drowsiness. Additionally, there have been reports of acute toxic psychosis associated with the consumption of inadequately prepared raw beans.

How does Mucuna pruriens work?

Mucuna pruriens works primarily by increasing serum dopamine levels due to its high L-DOPA content, which may help alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's and improve male fertility. Additionally, it may have antivenom effects via immune mechanisms and potential antidiabetic properties associated with D-chiro-inositol, though further research is needed.

Is Mucuna pruriens superior to isolated L-DOPA?

What are other names for Mucuna Pruriens?
Note that Mucuna Pruriens is also known as:
  • Velvet Bean
  • Cowitch
  • Werepe
  • Karara
  • Agbara
Mucuna Pruriens should not be confused with:
  • Levodopa (active ingredient)
Dosage information

Most trials looking at the effects of Mucuna pruriens on symptoms of Parkinson's disease or male infertility have used daily doses ranging between 5 and 45 grams of adequately prepared seed powder, corresponding to approximately 200 mg to 1,500 mg of L-DOPA.

Preparations of Mucuna pruriens, which contain L-DOPA, may be 2–3 times more potent than an equivalent dose of isolated L-DOPA (when not combined with carbidopa). Mucuna pruriens should not be used in conjunction with medications containing L-DOPA; combining the two could potentially result in excessively high dopamine levels, leading to adverse effects. Also, the potential blood-glucose-lowering properties of Mucuna pruriens mean that it could interact with diabetes medications.

⚠️ Caution: Talk to your doctor

Because of the potential for drug interactions and adverse effects, discuss M. pruriens supplementation with your doctor before starting it–especially if you’ve been taking L-DOPA-containing medications or diabetes medications.

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Update History
2024-02-21 03:34:28

Big update with new FAQs

major

We rewrote some of the existing page to have better flow and more up-to-date citations. We also added new FAQs on topics like mucuna pruriens's nutrition profile and antidiabetic properties. Finally, we added several new meta-analyses to the database.

Reviewed By

Nick Milazzo
References
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Examine Database References
  1. Parkinson's Disease Symptoms - Roberto Cilia, Janeth Laguna, Erica Cassani, Emanuele Cereda, Benedetta Raspini, Michela Barichella, Gianni PezzoliDaily intake of Mucuna pruriens in advanced Parkinson's disease: A 16-week, noninferiority, randomized, crossover, pilot studyParkinsonism Relat Disord.(2018 Apr)
  2. Parkinson's Disease Symptoms - Roberto Cilia, Janeth Laguna, Erica Cassani, Emanuele Cereda, Nicolò G Pozzi, Ioannis U Isaias, Manuela Contin, Michela Barichella, Gianni PezzoliMucuna pruriens in Parkinson disease: A double-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover studyNeurology.(2017 Aug 1)
  3. Parkinson's Disease Symptoms - Katzenschlager R, Evans A, Manson A, Patsalos PN, Ratnaraj N, Watt H, Timmermann L, Van der Giessen R, Lees AJMucuna pruriens in Parkinson's disease: a double blind clinical and pharmacological studyJ Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.(2004 Dec)