Hi all. I'm interested in giving this a go. When I go to Ebay I find Zandopa all over the place from India. There's also a couple of herb sellers here in the UK that sell a different brand but again it's in powder form. However, go to Amazon or IHerb and you get lots of products in capsules. I notice that they are described as Mucuna and not Mucuna Pruriens. Does anybody know if there's a difference between M and MP and also, are these capsules the same product as the various powders on offer?
Thanks a lot to anybody who can answer this.
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This is of the top of my head. If it says mucuna does it say also it is standardized? Otherwise I think it would take many many pills to come to a certain dosage.
I take 3 times 3 pills of MP each day of MP of healthy vitamins . Normally I took 3 times 1 100/25 sinemet. It helps as much. Donot know about other people. Zandopa did not do much in some funny way donot know why. I disliked the taste of it too
Hello, so are you taking 9 pills of the MP each day? Is it a 15% L-dopa? Or is it a higher level of L-dopa? Where do you buy your MP? Is it helping with other symptoms, like pain? Thank you
You need to take note of the weight of the capsule and the percentage of dopamine in it and calculate the dopamine content per capsule. It varies from 90%-15%. The lower percentage is thought preferable as it allows for the capsule to contain other beneficial ingredients also found in mucuna.
It's usually written on tub! Solaray's DopaBean capsules from iherb are 333mg total capsule contents weight, with 15% ldopa, therefore roughly 50 mg ldopa per serving. This is quite a low dose. Powder gives you the opportunity to start even lower.
I asked this question of someone else below, but I'd like to know what you think as well.
I thought that typically MP is 15 to 20% levodopa and that 100% pure extract is all levodopa and nothing else. If pure extract is just levodopa, how does that reduce dyskinesia, i.e., aren’t we just replacing the levodopa in C/L with levodopa from MP?
I thought the purpose of getting levodopa from MP was because the other compounds in the MP is what allowed you to get the same dose of levodopa without dyskinesia. So, if the pure extract is all levodopa, how does that reduce the likelihood of dyskinesia?
so, that must mean their molecular structure is different? If the levodopa in MP doesn't induce dyskinesia, but the levodopa and C/L does, then that must mean they're different?
I was also informed by an organic/naturalist in Atlanta that the MP is all natural and not chemically made which makes it far better. I get no exact reason when asked why dyskinesia does not occur when taking MP but it works for me.
Remember the MP has to be pure form and when taking LDopa supplement it also has to be pure form with no other additive on the label.
I did not see any results when I took LDopa supplements. I began taking certified organic Mucuna P. and within 60 days could feel and see a difference. If it has been used for centuries in India and China among other countries to treat PD symptoms with good results then it is worth a try. I do have the 100% certified organic powder as well as the capsules. The taste is what deters me from slurping down a mouth full with water or cranberry juice but you can control the amount you take with the powder vs capsule. totally my opinion.
Hi Thank you so much for this, I think that taking time (60 days) is also important. Could you please tell what brand is the certified organic Mucuna P. that you buy and where? It will even help if you have a link.
I take the cap let’s when I just don’t think I can drink the powder mix. It is certified organic.
I have always purchased my powder from starwest botanicals which can also be purchased they amazon. We have gotten another powder that was derived from the mucuna seed and stem but I will have to find that exact name. I hope this helps. There are very informative articles about Mucuna Pruiens and you would benefit from doing extensive research on this wonderful herb. It helps do much more than just PD but I credit it for my slow progression of PD and my total well being.
Yes the MP I take its from nutrivita and it claims to be 98% ldopa or something close to that. I have tremor so the MP eases the tremor somewhat but doesn't stop it completely, but here's the catch if I take too much it does cause bad dyskinesia. So I think that's bad info on the MP not causing dyskinesia
You are getting half as much ldopa in the DopaBean as your 25/100 Sinimet. Your sinimet has 100mg of ldopa. If you buy a mucuna product which is a low percentage of ldopa, like DopaBean, the rest of the product is believed to have ingredients which work like carbidopa. I certainly don't take anything else and found swapping my 50mg madopar capsules for DopaBean capsules unproblematic.
Hi Daphne, I am curious on your use of DopaBean. Are you still using it in place of madopar, and if not, why did you stop? What was your dosage rate? I recently started taking DopaBean to help improve my tremor based on the idea that it's a mucuna product that has ingredients to act like madopar or C/L. I am taking up to 3 to 4 capsules per day with no obvious signs of improvement. I am taking other supplements, including HDT for my PD, and no medications. I've read your book and just joined your Facebook group. Thanks.
Gosh, I wrote that a long time ago! At that time I also discovered B1 and gave up on mucuna, because I thought, why worry about a few madopar tablets if B1 was going to stop me needing to increase my dose to many more madopar, which B1 has indeed done. I only got to five small madopar (250 mg) per day.
However recently I’ve decided to exchange some madopar for mucuna after all. Equivalent dosing is the problem. Knowing how much levodopa you are getting from the Macuna and then how that equates to madopar/Sinemet. Different Macuna products have different amounts of levodopa. A tablet marked as 200 mg of Macuna with only 50% levodopa, for example, will only have 100 mg of levodopa even though it’s marked at 200 mg Macuna. Then there’s the carbidopa problem. If you are taking Macuna alongside madopar/sinemet, the Macuna can borrow some of the carbidopa/benserazide from the synthetic tablet to help the levodopa from the Macuna into the brain, so you only need twice as much levodopa from Macuna compared to the levodopa from madopar or sinemet. If you are not taking madopar or sinemet then you need 4 or 5 times the levodopa from your Macuna compared to what you would take of sinemet or madopar, because it has a harder job getting into the brain.
I hope I’m making sense, and hope I’m answering your question! So I’ve swapped one synthetic tablet so far, and I’m swapping a second later this week. I’m doing it because I believe Macuna has other good stuff in it! However, if one only takes Macuna, one can end up having to take a lot of tablets!
You don’t say how strong the Macuna you take is. I’ve swapped a 50/12.5 mg madopar for a 100 mg levodopa macuna. The ‘starting dose’ for madopar/sinemet is about 300 mg per day. For Macuna it would be 4 or 5 times this per day, for the reasons described above. Personally, I like to choose a Macuna that has less than 99% levodopa in it because I believe the other contents in the Macuna will be beneficial. This puts the starting dose at anything from 1000 mg -1,500 mg of levodopa, and in a Macuna product less than 99% this would mean even more. So perhaps you are not taking enough Macuna, though tremors are notorious to get rid of!
Thanks so much! For myself not taking Madopar or Sinemet, I am curious on how you know that the need is 4 or 5 times the levodopa from mucuna compared to what I would take of Sinemet or Madopar in order for the levodopa to get into the brain? Is the basis for this amount of need from experience or from studies?
If my neurologist prescribed 12.5/50 Sinemet per dose, 3x/day, this means that by not following through on this prescription, I need 600mg or 750mg/day of levodopa from mucuna or 12 or 15 Dopabean capsules per day to be as effective as the prescription. Is this correct? A Dopabean capsule has 333mg of mucuna with 15% L-dopa.
As you would need so much levodopa from mucuna, it would be better to choose a product with a higher percentage of levodopa in it.
How do I know that you need 4 or 5 times the levodopa found in sinemet or madopar? It’s because Macuna doesn’t have carbidopa in it so you need to take a lot of levodopa as so much of it doesn’t make it into the brain. I know because I had a consultation with Dr Maldonado, a Spanish neurologist who wrote the book “mucuna versus Parkinson’s”.
Thank you for the clarification. You've been very helpful. I've increased my dose to 9 capsules/day and maybe starting to see improvement, but am not sure. I'll try to find more information from Dr. Maldonado's book.
I take 1 flat teaspoon with 1 capsule of NAC mixed in warm water each morning I'm not on Meds though so best to check dose with others that are combining both
Hello Jeeves! I've done exactly the same thing as you have done looking for a natural remedy for RLS. Zandopa is 87% Mucuna Extract and 23% filler with sweetener added. I'll save you some time and hopefully money. I found 100% (no fillers) pharmaceutical grade Mucuna Extract at NutriVita.com. Here is the link: nutrivitashop.com/products/...
The capsules work okay, but it takes time for the capsule to dissolve and the mucuna to be free to work. That takes longer and capsules are more expensive.
I have been on Mucuna Extract for almost a year now and I've had NO augmentation, no need to increase the amount I take (1/2 tsp. one half hour before I want to sleep. Then 1/2 tsp. four hours later when I wake up. I sleep another four hours. Total 8 hours sleep at night.) For me, this is perfect. My stomach cannot tolerate more than a 1/2 tsp. dissolved in pure water at a time. You might be able to tolerate more and sleep longer.
I have done that. For me, I can always count on 4 hours "rest, usually sleep" with 1/2 tsp. Then it wears off. If you need it during the day, take it! Then take it again to sleep at night.
No. I do not take any drugs. Mucuna does for me what drugs do, but drugs always have a "kick-back." If I need relief, say in the early evening to be able to sit for games with friends and supper together, I take mucuna again, but not as much so I won't get sleepy. It takes affect in 30 minutes, depending on what foods are on my stomach when I take mucuna. I have discovered that if my stomach is processing food, the mucuna does me NO good. So I always take mp on an empty stomach.
Help me understand this. I thought that typically MP is 15 to 20% levodopa and that 100% pure extract is all levodopa and nothing else. If pure extract is just levodopa, how does that reduce dyskinesia, i.e., aren’t we just replacing the levodopa in C/L with levodopa from MP?
I thought the purpose of getting levodopa from MP was because the other compounds in the MP is what allowed you to get the same dose of levodopa without dyskinesia. So, if the pure extract is all levodopa, how does that reduce the likelihood of dyskinesia?
I am no expert, mind you. But when I began researching MP, I learned that 15-20% MP extract is used by those who want to "feel good" and was used widely by bodybuilders and health nuts. My amateur analysis is that in the capsules I started with, 15% is MP and 85% is filler. Those capsules didn't help me at all. I searched and used 45% (one capsule helped me for about 2 hours), 85% (one helped about 3 hours), and 95% (about the same as 85%). All were caps. I cut the caps and took the powder in water. It was absorbed much quicker whereas a capsule has to dissolve before the MP can start kicking in.) That's how I know they have a taste to them. Then I found 100% mucuna extract. In 1/2 tsp (which may fill a normal gelatin capsule), I get four hours, sometimes more of deep sleep, free of my symptoms. I think the MP is pure levodopa. It's prescription carbidopa that has such a kickback and progressively less effectiveness as your body fights the chemicals (again, my amateur analysis). The MP I use now is pure--no taste, therefore I assume no fillers. It has worked for me for 2 years. Hopefully this helps.
I have to ask , do you use the MP to sleep? It is not clear to me. What are the symptoms you get rid of with MP if I can ask? And how much MP should be taken to be able to work during the day ?
Yes, I use MP to sleep. Between 7-9 p.m., my legs start jumping--my nerves are firing, making my legs jump. It continues until the sun comes up. No letup. (Just FYI) I've been researching my RLS condition for years, and from one very reputable doctor I learned that the Central Nervous Systems began trying to repair damaged nerves, etc. during that time. That is somewhat of an answer, but no solution in itself. Back to your questions. As is true of most all RLS sufferers, walking and moving stops the "spiking." So in the evenings I move a lot! At 10 p.m. (on an empty stomach) I take 1/2 tsp. of MP (the pure, 100% EXTRACT from NutriVita.) Within 15 to 45 minutes (depending on what is in my stomach), all restless legs stops and I begin getting very drowsy. I go right to sleep and sleep solid for 4 hours with no RLS at all. When I begin getting restless and wake around 2 or 2:30 a.m., I get up and take another 1/2 tsp. I usually can go right back to sleep and sleep another 4 hours or more. I have found this dosage adequate for my life style. I like to plan my 8 hours of sleep so I have a full evening and then I don't oversleep in the morning. I have taken MP in early evening so I could attend parties that start around 6 and go to 10 or so. The MP keeps me calm and feeling normal. Then. I simply take my usual dose at 10 or 10:30 whenever I can, and try to stay on schedule. I have noticed that natural dopamine works wonderfully the same every time. Prescription meds do not work that way for me. (Apparently for others as well.) The body responds more naturally to natural dopamine. I am happy to answer any and all of your questions. And I'm delighted if I can help someone to cope with RLS or PD. I've been there so I know how utterly miserable both are, and prescription meds don't seem to offer any kind of long-term help without awful side affects.
I always encourage anyone taking MP to experiment with what will work for them. If you take MP during the day, it should work the same as at night--keeping you free from symptoms whenever you take it. God bless! (Please see my reply below.)
Believe me! I wish I had answers for all your questions. I just submitted another answer to you below. Initially I was so desperate for relief, I did the research and started my journey testing Mucuna. It gave me relief that did not kick back. Prescription meds for me were increasingly less effective and the side effects were horrible. I was determined to find a natural source that would work long-term, and for me, that was Mucuna Pruriens from Nutrivita.
How much do you take pls? At the moment my husband is just on azilect and Sifrol but I sense that soon he will have to go on Levadopa. I think MP could be good to try. However, I m a bit overwhelmed with all the info and dosages to take etc. Any suggestions for dosages to start with? thanks
I used capsules at first, but then I began emptying the contents in water so the MP would take effect sooner. I was wasting my money. Why not just get the extract powder and not the capsules. It's much less expensive. I purchased the 100% MP extract (pharmaceutical grade) from Nutrivita. Here is the link: nutrivitashop.com/l-dopa-10...
You will need to experiment with dosage. I would not advise you to use MP with any pharmaceutical prescription drugs--you'll be overdosing him. If you wean him down off his prescription drugs, you could begin adding a small amount of MP, and I would start with no more than 1/8 tsp. MP is powerful, just like prescription drugs, but MP is natural. With drugs there's always a kickback at some point because the body is not made to thrive on chemical drugs.
The typical levodopa concentration in natural MP powder is 4-6% ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... . Anything more than 12% and it is certaintly an extract.
Unfortunately, there is a common misconception that the active ingredient in Mucuna is just the Levodopa alone. This is beyond untrue: Most studies performed with pure Mucuna powder (4-6% Levodopa) showed that it outperforms plain Levodopa in terms of efficacy, absorption, bioavailability, duration and number of side effects.
Taking high concentration Levodopa without decarboxylase inhibitor is likely to exacerbate possible side effects such as nausea and it won't make any difference whether you take synthetic Levodopa or natural from mucuna.
The positive effects of Mucuna over Levodopa are attributed to yet-to-be-identified natural decarboxylase / MAO inhibitors and other beneficial compounds which Mucuna may contain. Therefore Mucuna Extracts of 12% and above may compromise or devoid of these innate properties found in the natural Mucuna powder. It is very likely that PD patients experience the full benefits of Mucuna when taken as whole powder instead of extracts.
* The Antiparkinsonian and Antidyskinetic Mechanisms of Mucuna pruriens in the MPTP-Treated Nonhuman Primate
“We demonstrate that Mucuna pruriens and MPWE have unique mechanistic properties that are differential from LD and that the unique combination of constituents within Mucuna pruriens contributes to both its anti-PD and anti-dyskinetic effects. ”
"When compared to LD+DDCI, MP-Ld showed similar motor response with fewer dyskinesias and Adverse Events, while MP-Hd induced greater motor improvement at 90 and 180 minutes, longer ON duration, and fewer dyskinesias. MP-Hd induced less AEs than LD+DDCI and LD−DDCI. No differences in cardiovascular response were recorded."
* Video: Natural Mucuna powder vs Levodopa vs LD+DDCI (PD Patient)
Nausea is reported but more prominent when Levodopa is taken alone. Sleepiness and Dizziness appear more likely with Levodopa / Levodopa + DDCI . Prolonged adverse events are more prominent with Levodopa alone and absent with the other agents.
Bottom line: Levodopa alone appears to have the most adverse reactions (12). The least adverse effects are reported with MP-low dose (1)
This is the same place I get MP nutrivira, but I take half that dose as my stomach can't take more and during the day. And more like every six hours or I get dyskinesia.
I had wonderful success taking Dopa Mucuna -- 3 capsules at a time, 3 times a day. However, about a month ago it quit working. I've been taking 4 this week; no benefit.
Given my simpleton brain power, I do not understand the dosing advice I'm reading here from some of you accelerated brainiacs. And I don't know how to discern the difference between products -- NOW's Dopa Mucuna vs. Himalaya's Mucuna, for instance. I can't choke down the powder in dry or watered form and have to stick to caplets or capsules.
I had a wretched reaction to sinemet and hope never to take it again!
The Now Dopa Mucuna capsules label says "standardized mucuna extract, naturally occurring 15% L-Dopa." Then on the back, "Mucuna extract 800 mg, L-Dopa 120 mg."
A friend told me yesterday she obliterated her tremor with Zandopa.
I take NOW Labs' Dopa Mucuna, which I order online from whoever is offering the best bargain. It comes in capsules -- I can't choke down the powder -- 15 percent, standardized. I started last year taking 2 capsules, three times a day. Now I take 4 capsules at a time. It works!
The Zandopa product is a standardized manufactured product assembled in a controlled environment in India. It contains .4% saccharine and this exists within the product to act as a sweetener to the Mucuna Pruriens Powder base, which I’ll refer to as “MPPb”. Mucuna Pruriens Bean Powder in and of itself is quite bitter to the taste buds. I’ve been using this Zandopa product since 2009, which I began making my own gelatin capsules after being diagnosed with Bradykinesia Parkinson’s in2007. I was diagnosed for about two years when I began making my own capsules, then I taught my wife how to use the capsule making equipment to make 200 capsules at a time. Then my wife taught her sister how to make them. From the very beginning I decided to make one size capsule, the “00” size. I’ve been making them since 2009 and although I can’t say that the Zandopa product has always shipped a 100% quality product, they haven’t. I’ve received shipments that had less saccharine and on one occasion the product was so bitter tasting that it would turn your mouth inside out. I take this for myself only, so I can use non-compensated family to help. If you attempt to sell the capsules, I suspect that DEA will be to visit you. I like the Zandopa product and do consider it to be a very good product. I can eat it (Spoon fed) from the “jar” as long as it has the saccharine in it.
The “00” capsule size has about 735mg in quantity. The 735mg capsule is on average, 4 to 7% L-Dopa. My neurologist prefers that I not take or use a non-standardized product, which the Zandopa product fits into. Now, I use a mean average to calculate the amount of L-Dopa I’m getting from each capsule. The mean average of 4 to 7% is 5.5%. Now at 5.5% per 735mg capsule, that’s
“735mg x .055” = 40.425mg of dopamine. This is the figure that you would use to calculate the total amount of dopamine I’m getting per day. I take 6 dosing’s per day, 3 capsules each dosing, for a total of 18 capsules, which gives me (6*3=18*40.425mg for a total of 727.65 Mg of dopamine). The Zandopa product takes affect much quicker than do other products, ie Sinemet Regular 25/100 (about 42 minutes, Sinemet 50/200 CR (about 60 minutes) and Mucuna Pruriens (about 12 to 15 minutes). Mucuna Pruriens takes affect without the use or Carbidopa, a component of Sinemet (regular & CR) that usually gives new-takers an upset stomach.
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Mucuna dosage question 
Mucuna Pruriens
Looking for people who have phased out Carbidopa/Levodopa in favor of an all-mucuna program
Bought 3 different kinds of mucuna pruriens powder
Mucuna dosage
