Many plants and herbs are known to yield a number of benefits for varied health conditions and general wellbeing. Traditional medicines in varied parts of the world have used these natural extracts for many reasons, which are now being currently studied by modern medicine. One of the plants that have been extensively used in ancient remedies is Mucuna Pruriens. If you not known to the supplement and the benefits that it offers, read on to find some more details.
Basics about Mucuna
There are several names that are used for Mucuna Pruriens, like velvet bean, lacuna bean, and Lyon bean among others. Naturally found in tropical Asia and parts of Africa, the plant is now cultivated in varied parts of the globe for extracting supplements. The plant and stems can cause itching when handled raw, but the extracted supplements don’t cause any such reaction whatsoever. Today, many brands sell supplements in powdered and capsule form, which can be taken for wide benefits discussed below.
What are the benefits?
Mucuna is known to impact mental energy in a good way and therefore, it is counted among the cognitive natural supplements for enhancing mood and emotional wellbeing. One of the major components of the plant extract is L-Dopa content, which is greatly impactful for increasing the level of dopamine in the brain, which is a feel-good chemical. New studies also indicate that patients with Parkinson’s disease may see some benefit with the supplement, especially with regards to symptoms. It has been reported that the Mucuna plant extracts may have some good effect on the sperm quality in men and may increase testosterone levels.
Other things to know
The appropriate dose of Velvet Bean is also very essential for getting the right benefits. Typically, most people start with small doses of 100 mg per day, with a maximum upper limit of 900 mg per day. With the lower doses, there are no big side effects, but if you take the extract in huge quantity, you may experience side effects, vomiting and confusion. The best and simplest way to start Mucuna Pruriens supplement is to start with lowest dose and finally increase as you see the results. It must also be mentioned that the supplement, irrespective of its form, should not be combined with MAOI Drugs.
As always, you may want to talk to your doctor before starting a cognitive supplement, even though the Mucuna extracts are known to be typically safe.
