Mucuna Pruriens Benefits- Is it The Powerful Dopa Bean?

Mucuna pruriens benefits are due to its antioxidant effects and its high L-dopamine content.

Also known as the magic velvet bean, this plant has been used since 1500 b.c in Ayurvedic medicine. 

Commonly mistaken for an herb, Mucuna is not an herb; it’s actually a type of legume or bean. 

In some parts of the world, Mucuna is an established medicine as an aphrodisiac.  It is also used to treat neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease.  Many experts consider it an adaptogen, which supports balance in the body. 

Takeaways from this post-

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits Summary

Here is a quick overview of some of the benefits of mucuna pruriens:

• Supports healthy fertility and sexuality especially for male infertility
• Increases dopamine, a happy mood chemical, in the body
• Gives people a sense of well-being
• Reduces stress hormones
• Increases antioxidants in the body
• Has nerve health benefits for people with nervous system disorders

What is Mucuna Pruriens?

This wild legume, the mucuna bean, grows in tropical regions of the world, such as China and India. It belongs to a class of over 150 beans called Papilionaceae.

Other common names for Mucuna include velvet bean, magic velvet bean, dopa bean, cowitch, and cowhage.  

Some mucuna varieties are smooth and some have hairs that are very itchy!

The velvet bean is used as a food source in many parts of the world due to its high protein content.

However, it must be boiled multiple times to remove its anti-nutritional factors. These anti-nutritional compounds include trypsin inhibitors, tannins, phytate, and lectins.  Another method to reduce these anti-nutrients is to roast the beans. 

Like many other beans, mucuna beans are a great source of protein and amino acids. Mucuna’s flavor is also very mild. 

Mucuna is roasted and used as a coffee substitute as well.

Keep in mind, that the boiling process destroys its dopamine content.

Roasting mucuna appears to keep the dopamine content intact, so you should try to use roasted mucuna.   

Related post: L-Tyrosine Changed My Life and It May Change Yours Too (thehealthyrd.com)

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits as Medicine Overview

Mucuna pruriens contains many beneficial compounds, including antioxidants, that help protect the body.

These compounds include:

• L-dopamine
• Polyphenols
• Tannins
• Amino acids
• Alkaloids
• Essential fatty acids including linoleic acid and linolenic acid
• Saponins 
• Terpenoids
• d-chiro-inositol

This medicinal bean is traditionally used for anti-venom, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, nerve enhancing, and fertility benefits.  

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits: How it Works

Mucuna beans support many aspects of health. Here is an overview of mucuna beans’ health benefits.

• Hormones: Mucuna also helps normalize hormones, such as adrenalin, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, noradrenaline, and testosterone. 
• Nerve energy: Mucuna also may help restore levels of NADH, mitochondrial complexes, and coenzyme Q10, all-important for nerve health. 
• Neurotransmitters: Neurotransmitters may also improve with the use of mucuna.  These neurotransmitters include levodopa, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.  This was demonstrated from animal work where these nerve factors were increased in the brain region called the substantia nigra. 
• Inflammation: Mucuna may reduce inflammation in the body by reducing a compound called NF-kB. 

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits: Increases Dopamine

Many people seek dopamine because it makes them feel better. If you have depression, mood disorders, or other severe neurological disorders like Parkinson’s, you also may have low dopamine levels.  

Simply put, mucuna beans boost dopamine levels.

Dopamine functions to keep us happy and motivated. It also protects neurons because it is an antioxidant.

Supplemental mucuna increases blood dopamine levels compared to placebo. 

Dopamine from Mucuna beans may also cross the blood-brain barrier.  

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits for Nerve Health

The most well-known use for mucuna beans is in nervous system disorders like Parkinson’s disease. 

Emerging research is showing benefits for other conditions, such as ADHD and mood disorders. 

Mucuna appears to be neuroprotective in early research work.  This is called a nootropic effect. 

This velvet bean may also increase serotonin levels to balance mood.

Several small studies have found positive results of using mucuna pruriens in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.  Here is what they found:

A small, but very promising clinical trial found that mucuna powder was as effective or more effective than carbidopa/levodopa in patients with Parkinson’s disease.  Mucuna had fewer side effects like dyskinesias and fewer adverse effects than treatment with drug treatment in this study. 

The mucuna pruriens seed extract benefits for Parkinson’s disease were demonstrated in another small study. Surprisingly, Mucuna pruriens improves symptoms quicker and for a longer duration than usual drug treatment.  Impressively, mucuna increased dopamine levels more so than the drug combination as well. 

The latest study using Mucuna in Parkinson’s disease found it as effective as a standard treatment. But it was limited by digestive side effects in some people. 

Bonus: mucuna may protect nerves from further damage as well.  Mucuna’s antioxidant effects are likely the reason that mucuna seems to have benefits beyond certain drug therapies. 

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits: Sexual Health

Mucuna beans have a long track record for their use in supporting healthy reproduction. They are also known to support sex drive as an aphrodisiac. 

Research supports mucuna’s effectiveness for these purposes.  Here is the research we have so far. 

When men struggle with fertility, they often have a low sperm count.  Mucuna appears to boost sperm count.  Here is the evidence:

In a research study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 60 men were given 5 grams of mucuna seed powder or a placebo. Mucuna was able to reduce stress and improve semen peroxide levels as well as increase sperm counts.  Antioxidant levels improved as well.

Sperm count also improved in another randomized trial of 150 men with infertility and normal fertility. It worked especially well in infertile men.

Another study of 60 healthy men found mucuna effective in increasing sperm count. 

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits: Increases Sperm Motility

Mucuna pruriens benefits may extend to sperm motility. A clinical study found that mucuna at 5 grams per day increased sperm motility for infertile men. 

Also, 150 men demonstrated improved sperm motility when receiving mucuna in another study. 

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits: May Increase Testosterone

Mucuna beans may improve testosterone too.  Men with infertility got a boost in testosterone levels when given mucuna. In this study, it worked better than the placebo.

Yet another study found that mucuna powder improved testosterone levels. 

Libido

So many men reach for expensive drugs that have risks when looking to improve libido. 

Can mucuna help?

No human studies have directly measured whether mucuna improves libido. But, several animal studies support this as a possible benefit.  The potential benefit to libido could be due to improved neurological and hormonal levels, including testosterone. 

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits for Focus

So many people struggle with a lack of focus and brain fog. Can Mucuna help with focus?

By increasing dopamine, it is also possible that mucuna beans increase focus. 

In a study of ADHD, children received a combination of mucuna with vitamins and minerals.  Fascinatingly, 77 percent of the children had improvement in ADHD symptoms by the end of 10 weeks.

Therefor, it is definitely an intriguing potential therapy for ADHD. 

Improves Performance

Mucuna benefits may extend to performance-it and improve a sense of well-being.  

By helping normalize hormones and neurotransmitters, mucuna may also help with mental and physical performance. It may help by reducing inflammation and stabilizing neuron health. ‘

Dopamine is involved in muscle movements, mood, and memory.

So mucuna may very well enhance performance in people with low dopamine levels. 

As you may recall, Mucuna also increases essential compounds in the body called NADH and coenzyme Q10.  These two substances enhance energy and performance as well.

May Improve Mood

Dopamine is important for a healthy mood.  Some people with mood disorders suffer from low dopamine levels. It makes sense that mucuna may help with mood because mucuna increases dopamine levels.  

While research is still quite early for using mucuna for mood disorders like depression, mucuna holds a lot of promise. 

For example:

• In mice, mucuna bean extract had antidepressant effects.
• Mucuna reduces psychological stress in men with infertility.  
• Protects brain tissue from the toxic effects of excess glucose in mice. 

Other Potential Benefits of Mucuna

Mucuna pruriens benefits may include the following conditions, but more research is needed:

• Diabetes: may improve blood sugar levels
• Snake bites
• Infections
• Skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis

Mucuna side effects and risks

Mucuna beans, if eaten raw, contain cyanogenic glycosides. These compounds can cause cyanide toxicity at high levels. 

Fortunately, these beans contain far below any toxic level of cyanide. So they do not pose a risk for cyanide poisoning.

Supplemental mucuna powder or mucuna seed extracts are very unlikely a cause of side effects.  Eating more than 15-30 grams a day for 12-20 weeks was very safe, according to Examine.com. 

However, improper preparation of these beans may lead to side effects like digestive distress.

Mucuna does contain dopamine and some people do not need more of this neurotransmitter. Always check with your doctor before starting any supplement, including mucuna. 

Excessive dopamine, but not necessarily mucuna supplements, has been linked to: 

• Impulse control problems
• Hypersexuality
• Binge eating
• Addictive behaviors
• Abnormal heart rate

Some websites claim that mucuna may be harmful in conditions like schizophrenia or in people with heart issues.  L-dopamine actually has beneficial effects in people with schizophrenia on current drug therapies according to research.  

To keep it in context, other foods, even bananas, contain dopamine.

Caution should be used in people with heart arrhythmias. 

The hairs on Mucuna pruriens flowers and seeds are very itchy; do not use mucuna unless it is boiled or roasted.

Keep in perspective the risks and benefits of everything you do.

Mucuna Pruriens Drug Interactions

Do not take mucuna supplements if you are on the following medications: 

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Glaucoma medications

How to Supplement Mucuna

When supplementing mucuna, make sure to look for roasted mucuna beans. 

Because mucuna beans are food, there is no upper limit of safety for mucuna supplements.  

Mucuna dosage: Studies typically use doses between 5-30 grams of mucuna per day.  Mucuna powder is often used in supplements, but you can also find mucuna extracts. 

Lower doses than this also seem effective, according to many reviews.

Use common sense: as a food, you likely wouldn’t be eating mucuna beans every day, so if you are using mucuna for general health, you probably don’t need to supplement it every day either. 

Best Mucuna Pruriens Supplements

Personally, I like blends of adaptogens instead of singular ones.

• Mucuna blends: My favorite blend with Mucuna is called Cacao Elixir. It contains maca, mucuna, raw cacao, ashwagandha, Chaga, spirulina, and hemp protein.  You can find it here.
• Mucuna Powder: For an organic mucuna powder, Microingredients is a high-quality choice without fillers or additives.  Many people feel like it improves their sleep quality and restless legs syndrome in addition to mood and sexual benefits. You can find it here.  I like powders because you can mix them into foods and smoothies and sip on them slowly.
• Mucuna capsules: Some people don’t like to mix and fuss with powders, so mucuna capsules are a nice alternative.  I recommend buying organic mucuna capsules. A good one is Naturebell.  It contains 1 gram of mucuna per serving and it is highly rated. You can find it here.

Mucuna Pruriens Benefits Summary

Mucuna pruriens benefits the body due to its high dopamine and antioxidant levels.  It may help support nerve health, mood, and sexual health, and may even be helpful in treating disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Make sure to try small amounts first to make sure your digestive system tolerates it and always choose boiled or roasted varieties to reduce digestive side effects.

Try blends of mucuna with other adaptogen herbs for a balanced effect on your body.