Talk:Mucuna pruriens
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Hi, I know a few things about Mucuna pruriens or as I would call it Velvet bean, from work done down in Central America. Velvet bean is what got me into Honduras in the first place.
In Central America it is used as green manure/cover crop for soil improvement. It produces a large number of beans which have been used as a coffee substitute (Nescafe) on a limited trial bases. However this practice has almost entirely been abandoned as a single cup of the beverage has about as much l-Dopa in it the standard dose used for Parkinson’s patients. Low-levels of l-dopa can cause nasuia and headaches. It can also cause birth defects and induce spontaneous abortions in pregnant women. For guys it has the added benefit of “Large amounts of L-dopa may cause priapism, a painful, persistent erection that has nothing to do with sexual arousal.”
For normal human consumption the beans are boiled, and the water is thrown out three times prior to eating.
It is not a viable cash crop, as it has little practical value outside of enhancing the soil it is grown on. If it could be sold for cash, or used safely as a coffee substitute, no one would have to promote it for its soil building properties, it would sell itself. Years ago it was used in Alabama, Georgia, and surrounding states, but then someone figured out that you can actually sell soybeans, so everyone switched over to growing soybeans instead.
The article as now written specially states “L-DOPA is still under study as an anti-Parkinson's agent, and since this plant is a rich source of the chemical, it is receiving attention as a "natural" herbal source. Its popularity in the herbal, athletic, and ayurvedic supplements industries is growing.” When in fact l-Dopa IS the main drug for Parkinson’s treatment, and has been for years.
The whole mucuna pruriens as herbal medicine aspect needs to be dropped. I feel the article as now written is about as accurate as saying that arsenic is a traditional medication, and then listing out all of the potential “benefits” of arsenic. Brimba 19:55, 21 December 2005 (UTC)
