Uses of Mucuna

Mucuna pruriens (cowhage or velvet bean) is a flowering vine that produces pod-like fruits with seeds. Mucuna has been used in India for centuries to treat several ailments. Its active ingredient is L-dopa, which converts into the neurotransmitter brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine influences movement, sexuality and mood. Side effects of mucuna have not been fully studied, however high doses might cause rapid heartbeat, insomnia, restlessness and fever. Mucuna is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and is considered an herbal or folk medicine in the United States.

Parkinson's Disease

• The active ingredient in mucuna, L-dopa, is used in the United States to treat Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurological illness. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include trembling, difficulty walking, muscle pain and stiffness, and soft or rapid speech. Folk doctors and herbalists treat Parkinson's patients with mucuna, and it may have less long-term side effects (such as DNA damage) than L-dopa. A 2007 study by the Department of Neurology at Scott & White Clinic in Temple, Texas, concluded, "Anti-Parkinson botanical mucuna pruriens prevents levodopa-induced plasmid and genomic DNA damage."

Infertility Treatment

• Mucuna seeds are used in folk medicine to promote male fertility by increasing sperm count and motility. A 2007 human trial by the departments of biochemistry, obstetrics and gynecology at King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India, found that mucuna, "elevated spermatogenesis and improved sperm motility." The L-dopa in mucuna might help infertility in women caused by excess prolactin production, as dopamine inhibits prolactin production in the body.

Sexual Enhancement

• Mucuna might increase sexual desire because of its ability to produce dopamine in the body. Dopamine is involved with the brain's pleasure system and enhances a person's urge to experience pleasure, including sexual intercourse. Mucuna has been used in folk medicine to increase libido and stamina, as well as sexual sensations.

Increased Mental Functions

• Low dopamine levels have been established in some patients with depression. Because mucuna is involved in dopamine production, it has been used in India to treat nervous disorders and depression due to low dopamine levels. Mucuna is prescribed by herbalists and folk doctors for stress management and mood stability. The elevation of mood and decrease in stress level might promote more sound sleep and improved concentration.

Other Medicinal Uses

• Since ancient times in India, mucuna has been used as a poultice to treat scorpion bites. The root juice of mucuna is consumed orally to treat snake bites. Dried and crushed root of mucuna is applied to toothaches to ease pain. The mucuna pods are used as a laxative, anti-parasitic and remedy for edema and fevers.

Foods

• Ground mucuna seeds are used as a coffee-like beverage in Brazil. Juvenile mucuna pods are cooked and consumed in India. West African farmers use mucuna seeds to make broths for stews. Mucuna is used in Japan as an ingredient in bean jam or yam paste.