Velvet Bean Benefits for Parkinson’s, Mood, Libido & More

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Velvet bean benefits are attributed to the presence of L-Dopa in the seeds of this ancient medicinal plant.

Since Vedic times in India, velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) has been used as a versatile medicinal agent, as well as dietary staple.

Traditional and current therapeutic uses include treating male infertility issues, protecting against nervousness disorders, moderating blood-glucose spikes, providing strong antioxidant actions and more.

The pods, seeds, leaves and roots of Mucuna pruriens are used to make velvet bean extracts, but it is the seed pods that are considered most effective today.

Velvet bean has been used as an herbal remedy for Parkinson’s disease. Its anti-parkinson effects are believed to originate from the high concentrations of L-Dopa found in the seed.

L-Dopa is a precursor to the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved in mood, movement, attention, the reward cycle and more. The supplement is also used to promote focus, enhance mood and raise energy levels for students, athletes and elderly individuals.

Mucuna Pruriens

Herbal Supplement

Mood

Nootropic

Body -building

How It Works:

• Elevates dopamine & norepinephrine
• Boosts mood, focus & motivation
• Improves stress response & libido

Dosage:

Between 500 - 1000 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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Velvet Bean Benefits

L-dopa is a precursor to the catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine).

Increasing L-dopa bioavailability upregulates catecholamine synthesis, especially in cases where tyrosine (found in many foods) cannot be converted to L-dopa.

Synthetic L-dopa is effective at raising dopamine levels and is found in many medications used to treat Parkinson’s such as Deprenyl.

Parkinson’s is a disorder associated with aging in which the brain is no longer able to manufacture dopamine normally.

Velvet Bean has been suggested as a natural therapy for Parkinson’s because it contains L-dopa which can increase brain dopamine levels. Dopamine is one of the brain’s most powerful and dynamic neurotransmitters.

It is largely responsible for regulating our moods, and generating feelings of subjective wellbeing. Dopamine also affects movement, digestion, attention, sleep, learning, memory and more.

The natural L-dopa contained in velvet bean extracts is easily converted to bioavailable dopamine. It is able to cross the brain/blood barrier serves as a precursor for dopamine and synthesis of other catecholamine neurotransmitters.

Velvet Bean Benefits for Male Infertility

Via the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis, M. pruriens seems to improve some symptoms of male fertility.

Based on one 6-month, double-blind study of 150 infertile men, velvet bean benefits concerning spermatogenesis and conception-generating capacities included:

• Semen and serum levels of dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline universally increased;
• Adrenaline levels in semen were normalized;
• Noradrenaline levels in semen were normalized;
• Dopamine levels in semen were normalized
• Testosterone levels were elevated in all subjects, particularly in those with very low baseline sperm counts;
• Sperm count, sperm motility and volume of semen increased universally;

Larger-scale human trials addressing velvet bean benefits for male infertility are underway. Currently, there are not any FDA recommendations concerning Mucuna pruriens as a treatment or preventive for male infertility.

Velvet Bean Benefits for Diabetes Mellitus Type II Management

M. pruriens seems to be effective at controlling after-meal blood-sugar spikes. In rodent tests, blood-glucose levels were reduced for up to 8 hours after eating with doses equivalent to 5mg/kg of bodyweight.

In one study, 7 different doses were administered to different murine treatment groups; each dose ranging between 5mg/kg and 100mg/kg of bodyweight. Blood-glucose spikes were reduced between 18.6% and 55.4%. These results have been replicated in various studies in rats.

Other Velvet Bean Benefits

Mucuna pruriens has also been shown possibly effective in other therapeutic roles, including:

• Reducing the concentrations of cortisol in men who are chronically stressed;
• Treating snake bites by neutralizing cardiotoxins, cytotoxins and other poisonous serpentine agents;
• Inhibiting the production of trypsin and chymotrypsin (detrimental gastric enzymes);
• Improving the digestibility of proteins;
• Scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce free radical damages;
• Providing potent antimicrobial effects;

Velvet Bean Safety

Naturally-sourced velvet bean extracts are believed to be safe for human supplementation. In one large-scale, double-blind study, 15 mg/kg to 30mg/kg doses of M. pruriens were administered to treatment group subjects over twelve to twenty weeks.

The only side effect reported was one instance of vomiting from a single patient. The digestibility of velvet beans extracts may be more of a concern than its bioactivity.

There are no standard dosing instruction available concerning Mucuna pruriens supplementation. In animal tests, doses up to 100mg/kg of bodyweight caused no serious or long-term side effects.

With high doses over time, side effects in rats included spontaneous erections, hyperventilation and reduced motor activity.

Side effects that have been linked to L-dopa include:

• Hypotension (low systemic blood pressure);
• Abnormal respiration and/or heart arrhythmias;
• Nausea and gut bleeding;
• Androgenic alopecia (hair loss);
• Extreme emotional states and/or incessantly strong libido;
• Confusion, disorientation and/or audial/visual hallucinations;
• Somnolence (incessant drowsiness) and/or narcolepsy;
• Insomnia and highly vivid dreams;

Additionally, long-term use (more than one year) of synthetic L-dopa administration may cause dyskinesia (involuntary movement), freezing during motion, dopamine dysregulation syndrome and more. There may also be withdrawal symptoms upon ceasing use of L-Dopa, though this has not been observed with normal usage of velvet bean.

If you are considering supplementation for velvet bean benefits, then please consult with your family doctor first to be sure you are safe from any possible side effects or pharmaceutical contraindications.

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