Mucuna versus Parkinson: treatment with natural levodopa

Book excerpt: “Mucuna pruriens” is a bean that grows in the tropics. It is very rich in natural levodopa that is better tolerated and more potent than the synthetic levodopa in Sinemet or Stalevo. Two prestigious neurologists have patented extracts of mucuna seeds as a treatment for Parkinson's. Meanwhile, patients have recorded their positive experiences with mucuna; they buy it online (no prescription needed) and use it in secrecy without consulting their neurologist. Neither the patients nor the doctors (most of them) have clear ideas about this plant, its ingredients (not only levodopa), the proportions in which it is absorbed, or how to manage it. "Mucuna versus Parkinson: Natural Levodopa Treatment" is so far the most complete and up-to-date monograph on the subject, it describes the theoretical and practical approaches to the use of this plant as a treatment option for Parkinson's disease. Also included are more than one hundred of references.