Not many people know all the many healing properties of mucuna pruriens: infertility, Parkinson’s, anti-snake venom. Here is your chance to learn more!
Mucuna pruriens is one variety of the mucuna species and the plant that we will be covering here. It is a tropical vine that produces a legume that has been widely cultivated. This plant is known by many slang names including velvet bean. It is the processed legume of this plant that holds the magic.For men who are infertile, this tropical legume has been proven to bring great healing. Studies revealed that consumption of mucuna increased both sperm count and motility of the sperm.[1][2][3]
Both human and animal studies conclude that mucuna consumption imparts aphrodisiac properties to males. [4][5]
In both Africa and India, mucuna has been used as an anti-snake venom agent. Now modern science has found the mechanism for its anti-venom properties.[6][7][8][9]
A double blind clinical study was done on people with Parkinson’s disease to determine the effect of taking mucuna. They concluded that mucuna seed powder is a natural source of L-dopa and may possess advantages over conventional L-dopa preparations in the long-term management of Parkinson’s disease.[10]
In fact, there is evidence to prove that as early as the year 300 BC, Parkinson’s disease was identified and treated with mucuna in India. [11]
Mucuna has also been shown to have neuroprotective effects.[12] This may be of benefit for those of us who are noticing that our brains are not what they used to be and want to make sure our brains stay sharp as we age.
If you’re considering growing mucuna yourself, please note that the legumes must be processed properly. They need to be soaked for two days and have the water changed several times during cooking. If not processed properly and consumed in large quantities, mucuna pruriens can be toxic to humans.
Learn about the healing property of another plant: the aloe vera!
- Mucuna pruriens improves male fertility by its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis
- Mucuna pruriens Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Semen in Infertile Men
- Mucuna pruriens and its major constituent L-DOPA recover spermatogenic loss by combating ROS, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis
- Extraction of bioactive principles from Mucuna pruriens seeds
- Effect of Mucuna pruriens (Linn.) on sexual behavior and sperm parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rat
- Effects of Mucuna pruriens protease inhibitors on Echis carinatus venom
- Tan, NH; Fung, SY; Sim, SM; Marinello, E; Guerranti, R; Aguiyi, JC (2009}
- Characterization of the factor responsible for the antisnake activity of Mucuna Pruriens' seeds
- Antitoxin activity of Mucuna pruriens aqueous extracts against Cobra and Krait venom by in vivo and in vitro methods [PDF]
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22447581/
- The history of parkinsonism: descriptions in ancient Indian medical literature
- The Magic Velvet Bean of Mucuna pruriens
