Mucuna Pruriens, one of the common Ayurvedice herbs, is also known as velvet bean or cowhage. Mucuna pruriens contains L-Dopa. Mucuna has been used for generations in India for Parkinson’s disease. L-dopa is used to make dopamine, an important brain chemical involved in mood, sexuality, and movement. Studies in rats show mucuna pruriens supplements influence dopamine content in the cortex of the brain. Mucuna pruriens has antioxidant properties.
Mucuna Pruriens, or Velvet Bean, is a bean that grows from trees and is very itchy to touch due to serotonin on its surface. It is a good source of L-DOPA, and contains some other molecules that may aid the benefits of L-DOPA. The other psychoactives in Mucuna are dosed too low to be relevant.
Nutritional analysis reveals mucuna pruriens contains crude protein ranged from 20-29 %, crude lipid 6-7%, total dietary fiber 8-10%, ash 3% and carbohydrates 50-60%. Several other compounds are found, including alkaloids