Mucuna Pruriens
Balance For The Body
Mucuna pruriens may be an unfamiliar sounding name, but this supplement has been used for thousands of years to support health, specifically for male fertility, nervous system health, and more. It is sometimes considered an aphrodisiac, and it has also been used in the Ayurvedic tradition to support healthy motor function. So could this legume be right for you? Read on to learn more about the properties and potential benefits of mucuna pruriens.
What is Mucuna Pruriens?
Mucuna pruriens is also called velvet bean, cowhage, or kapikacchu in Sanskrit (which interestingly, means “one starts itching like a monkey”). It is a member of the Fabaceae family, sub-family Papilionaceae, which includes over 150 different species of legumes. It is typically found in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including India, China, the Caribbean, and parts of Africa.[1] It can be found in areas like pastures, forest edges, woodlands, riverbanks, and wooded grasslands. It was initially cultivated as a food source, and the leaves were used as animal fodder.
Mucuna pruriens is a climbing shrub, and its long vines can stretch over 50 feet. Young mucuna pruriens are almost completely covered with hair, but as the plant ages, it loses its hairs. It has oval leaves that are heavily ridged and often pointed at the ends. It has white, lavender, or purple flowers and produces thick, leathery, hair-covered seedpods. This hair can cause a severe itch if it comes in contact with the skin — this phenomenon is due to the presence of a protein called mucunain. However, these hairs are only present in certain varieties of mucuna, and don’t seem to make a difference on the seed’s effects. The seeds are typically black or white with speckles, and somewhat resemble lima beans.
Mucuna is sometimes thought to be an invasive plant, especially in areas like South Florida and parts of South America, so it is sometimes used as a biological control for other problematic plants and grasses. It continues to be used for allelopathy, which is a biological phenomenon where certain plants produce biochemicals that influence the growth, germination, survival, and reproduction of other organisms.[2]
History of Mucuna Pruriens
Mucuna has a long history of use, both in traditional systems like Ayurveda and as a food crop. It is thought that mucuna pruriens has been used to support health since the 3rd century BCE. It was initially used in the Ayurvedic system, which is an ancient system of health support that developed in India. According to Ayurveda, the body must remain in balance with both the mind and the natural world. According to Ayurvedic principles, the body is governed by three energies or doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. While everyone has all three energies in the body, one is usually dominant. Different herbal extracts are used to balance the doshas, and mucuna was typically used to balance the nervous system, reproductive system, and digestive system. According to Ayurveda, mucuna also offers tridoshic support; that is, supporting issues that involve kapha, pitta, and vata.
In Ayurveda, mucuna pruriens is sometimes added to warm milk with honey, and is considered to have a balancing effect on both the nervous system and on the body’s physical balance. The sweet and bitter balance of the seeds was thought to be warming, which is thought to be especially beneficial for vata doshas, which is the dosha associated with wind, air, lightness, and cold.
Mucuna pruriens has also been used for many years in the Unani medicine tradition (sometimes called “Greco-Arab Medicine,” or “Unani Tribb”) —a Perso-Arabic tradition that is primarily practiced in South Asia. It is based on the work of Hippocrates, a Greek physician. It operates on the assumption that there are four humors in the body (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile), and that they must remain in balance into order to maintain optimal health.[3] Mucuna is often used to support a variety of health issues, including support for a healthy libido and healthy testosterone levels.
Mucuna has been used as a food source, as well as a forage or manure crop. In parts of Indonesia, the beans are eaten as a solo dish, or fermented into a product similar to tempeh. The cooked, fresh shoots are also eaten. The beans have a high protein count, so they are also fed to animals, and the plant is also dried and made into hay. It is considered to be a “green manure,” and is also used as a cover crop, primarily in South America. In parts of Africa it is used as fodder in cut-and-carry systems, which is where feed and crop residues are cut and carried to livestock which are confined or tethered close to the farm. It is considered a sustainable practice. [4]
In the 18th and 19th centuries, mucuna pruriens was grown widely in the foothills and lower hills of the Himalayas. Traditionally, both the pods and the beans were boiled and eaten. In parts of South America, including Guatemala and Mexico, the seeds are roasted and ground to make a coffee substitute (in the region, it is referred to as “Nescafe,” which shouldn’t be confused with the brand). Mucuna was also used to treat snake and scorpion bites — the beans were made into a topical paste and applied in order to neutralize the venom.
Today, mucuna remains a popular supplement in the wellness world, and recent research suggests that it may offer potential benefits for health support.
Active Compounds in Mucuna Pruriens
Mucuna pruriens is known for a number of active compounds, the most well known of which is L-Dopa (3,4-dihydroxy phenylalanine), a non-protein amino acid-derived compound. It is a precursor to dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that is activated when our bodies experience what it perceives as a “reward” (for example, eating dessert may trigger a release of dopamine). However, unlike dopamine, L-dopa is able to cross the blood/brain barrier, which is one of the reasons mucuna is considered a valuable plant. Other prevalent compounds include polyphenols and alkaloids, which may offer potential health benefits like antioxidant support and may promote a healthy stress response.
Beyond these compounds, mucuna is also a source of proteins (23-35%) and tannins, which is partially one of the reasons the plant is so popular as a food.
Potential Health Benefits
Mucuna pruriens may offer a number of benefits to support your health, and there has been ongoing research into the various facets of the plant. Beyond simply offering nutrients, there is evidence to suggest that mucuna may offer support for a wide variety of health issues.
Mucuna Pruriens May Support:
- Joint and mobility health
- Respiratory system health
- Men’s health
- A healthy libido
- Healthy testosterone levels
- A healthy stress response
- A healthy internal response
- A healthy digestive system
- Healthy blood lipid levels already in the normal range
- Promotes restful sleep
- Healthy looking skin
- Nervous system health
Joint and Mobility Health
As mentioned above, one of the primary compounds in mucuna pruriens is L-dopa, which is sometimes called levodopa. L-dopa, which is converted to dopamine in the brain, has been used to make commercial products designed to help manage Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive movement disorder, which is thought to be caused by the malfunction and death of nerve cells in the brain. As these cells die, dopamine production slows, leading to negative health effects. [5] However, because L-dopa can cross the blood/brain barrier, it is often used for support. In fact, according to one study, “When higher oral levels of L-dopa were introduced, the beneficial action of L-dopa upon parkinsonian symptoms and signs was proved beyond doubt.”[6] Some studies indicate that L-dopa extracted from mucuna pruriens may have a potentially positive effect on mobility health, as compared to synthetic L-dopa, which often causes negative symptoms like muscle spasms and low blood pressure.[7]
Nervous System Health
One of the most well known potential benefits of mucuna pruriens is its support for nervous system health, and this may be related to the presence of L-dopa as well. Since L-dopa is a precursor to dopamine, and is converted to dopamine in the brain, mucuna may offer support for a healthy nervous system and a healthy mood. It may also support neurotransmitter health.[8]
A Healthy Libido
There is also evidence to suggest that mucuna may have potential benefits on a healthy libido for men. One study looked at the effects of mucuna on male rats. Researchers provided male rats with a powdered mucuna seed solution and examined the effects on general mating behavior, libido, and potency. It was found that mucuna “produced a striking and sustained increase of sexual activity.” [9] These effects are also thought to be replicated in humans, although some informal observations suggest mucuna may have potential benefits for a healthy libido.
Men’s Health
Mucuna pruriens has also been studied for its effects on men’s health, specifically its support of a healthy libido, fertility, and more. In a recent study, researchers examined the role of mucuna pruriens in infertile men who were under psychological stress, and determined that “M. pruriens not only reactivates the antioxidant defense system of infertile men but it also helps in the management of stress and improves semen quality.” The antioxidants present in mucuna pruriens also work to protect cells from free radical damage, but what is fascinating about this study is that participants also experienced a “significant reduction in the level of psychological stress, as assessed by a questionnaire and serum cortisol levels.” This indicates that mucuna may have potential health benefits beyond simply offering support for men’s health. [10]
Promote Restful Sleep
In addition to supporting a healthy stress response, mucuna may also offer support for a healthy sleep. In one study, an aqueous extract of mucuna pruriens was added to a diazepam solution, and it was discovered that “Mucuna pruriens significantly and dose-dependently prolonged the duration of diazepam-induced sleep which suggests that it possesses sleep inducing property.” However, these results have yet to be observed in humans.[11]
Healthy Looking Skin
The antioxidants in mucuna pruriens may also offer potential benefits for healthy looking skin. Factors like smoking, pollution, and UV rays can have a negative impact on the health of your skin. It is thought that antioxidants may work to support healthy skin, as oxidative stress may contribute to skin issues. However, in one study, “human keratinocytes treated with a methanolic extract from MP [mucuna pruriens] leaves exhibit downregulation of total protein expression…This preliminary study suggests that evaluating the effect that topical MP methanolic extract treatment may have on skin diseases would be worthwhile.” While there hasn’t yet been extensive research into this topic, the subject seems worth exploring. [12]
Snake Venom
One of the more surprising uses for mucuna pruriens is in reaction to venomous snakebites. Snakebites are often triggered by neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, phospholipase A2, and some proteases. In a 2009 study, researchers studied the “protective effects of Mucuna pruriens seed extract against the lethalities of various snake venoms.” They discovered that the mucuna seeds contained antibodies that “effectively neutralized the lethalities of Asiatic cobra (Naja) venoms, but were not very effective against other venoms tested.” However, these results are still being studied.[13]
Should You Try Mucuna Pruriens?
If you’re looking for health support for a healthy libido, healthy looking skin, a healthy stress response, and more, mucuna pruriens could be an option for you. One of the most popular ways of getting mucuna pruriens is through taking a traditional supplement. You can find mucuna pruriens as a supplement by itself, or combined with other Ayurvedic herbs to support a healthy stress response. Some people choose to take mucuna with vitamin B6, since B6 is thought to support neurotransmitter health. Others argue that taking mucuna with chlorella is preferable since chlorella is high in B6 and may support absorption.[14]
Sources
- http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/35134
- http://tinyurl.com/y5vp5d4u
- http://www.hamdard.in/unani
- http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpc/doc/newpub/feeds_forages/feeds_forages.htm#5cut
- http://www.pdf.org/about_pd
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1946468/
- http://www.neurology.org/content/89/5/432.long#sec-17
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942911/
- http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3027853
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2816389/
- http://docsdrive.com/pdfs/academicjournals/crn/0000/50628-50628.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942911/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19429384
- http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/mucuna-pruriens-benefits.html