Velvet beans have been used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
Mucuna pruriens, also known as velvet bean, is an annual shrub that produces long vines. This climbing shrub is found in tropical areas such as the Caribbean, India, and Africa. It has many common names, including cow bean, picapica, and vaca. The name “velvet bean” derives from the fact that the plant is covered in soft hairs when young. However, as the pod matures, it sheds these hairs.
Mucuna pruriens, also known as velvet bean, contains serotonin.
Broad bean leaves are oval or diamond-shaped, with sharp edges and ridged sides. When the plant is young, both sides of the leaves are almost completely covered with hairs. The leaves are about 0.2 cm (0.1 in) long. Several leaves can grow on one stem, with each stem growing up to 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) long.
Velvet beans are flowering plants. Each flower head can bloom in just a few or a large number of flowers. These flowers can be white, dark purple, or light purple. Loose hairs cover the seed pods of these flowers, often causing severe skin irritation when contact is made. After the flowers bloom, the velvet bean plant begins to form a fruit.
Hair loss is a possible side effect associated with velvet bean consumption.
The main use of velvetbean is manure for small farms. It is resistant to many pests and diseases, including those that normally attack legumes. In several countries in Africa and Asia, velvet bean is used as a secondary food as it is a rich source of protein. It can be made into a side dish, condiment, or harvested when immature for use as a vegetable. The overall nutritional value of velvet bean is comparable to that of the most widely consumed legumes, such as soybeans, cowpeas and peanuts.
Velvet bean can be used to increase dopamine production to treat sexual dysfunction.
Mucuna pruriens is also used as animal feed in some countries. The plant, however, can be toxic to humans and other non-ruminant mammals if eaten raw. The cooking process releases chemicals such as levodopa from the plant, making it unsuitable for consumption in large quantities.
The beans have been used as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, although as of 2010, there is no data to support their ability to work or long-term tolerability. Beans contain levodopa and can be used to increase dopamine production to treat various disorders, including depression and sexual dysfunction. Side effects are many and include hair loss, extreme emotional states, and hallucinations. Since beans also contain serotonin and nicotine, it can be a mind-altering substance.