Hi folks. Just wanted to get the community view on this: I use the 98% Mucuna. It’s great and gives me about 3/4 hour’s of good on time. I have no issues regarding it’s efficacy. But I DO wonder about what my insides might look like after a couple of years of ingesting this stuff. Sounds trivial but I’m being serious: if I rinse out a glass that has had the potion in, the sink is spattered with black stains. I used to think that it was the green tea but it’s definitely the MP that creates thus rather unsightly residue. What sort of concerns me is that the sink only cleans up after an application of bleach! So I’m just wondering a) if my insides are stained black and b) if this could be a problem?
Your thoughts appreciated. Thanks
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jeeves19
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Jeeves, that is kind of the same thing I've been curious about lately. For some time I've been seeing black stains in my sinks & counter tops and couldn't figure it out. Last week I sorted my meds on the dining room table and then wiped it off with the dish rag. I put the rag in the washer and when it came out I noticed it had black stains all over it. I asked my husband if he had used it but he had not. The next day I told him that I thought it was from wiping the table off. So I'm sure it was from my ODT C/L. My pill cutter also has stains and that's the only pill I cut. Weird, huh? I didn't think about my insides being black !
Yes Nutrivita MP does all that. Annoying more than anything because of the stained washcloths and dish rags. Now I'm so careful to keep things away from it. At least it comes off the counters. Digestive juices probably clean our guts....😛 but I don't have to see it so no worries there. I usually chew xylitol gum while it's going down to keep it off my teeth or suck on a lozenge.
Whatever you are taking, and who knows what it is since you give no info, isn't pure 100% L-DOPA. If it was, it wouldn't leave any residue...anywhere. Particularly if it is a medicinal or pharmaceutical grade with > 98% purity which is the typical grade. Pharma grade is always > 99%.
98% MP doesn't mean anything other than it is MP without any additional fillers such as "Zandopa" uses to mask the flavor of MP.
Since you provide no info on the brand or source, I assume it is out of India without a Certificate of Analysis.
It is just 98% MP without fillers and probably not an extract of any noticeable strength.
Therefore, expect some type of residue. Nothing unusual.
Sharon. I have procured the certificate of analysis but try as I might I cannot seem to paste it into this discussion. Do you have an email or something that I could send it to as I’d be interested in your opinion? Thanks
Just had an idea that doesn’t require you to publish a personal email: if you go to Blackburn Distributions on Google ( they’re UK based) and search for Mucuna on their website they offer the certificate of analysis with the product page. Thanks
I think I might have figured out as to where the black residue comes from.
L-dopa can come from black or dark germinated seeds and can possibly remain in the L-dopa in minute amounts when the purity is relatively low due to faulty filtration techniques.
IOW, Blackburn is possibly buying L-dopa with this residue in it, which means it isn't 98-99% pure. Can't be.
Remember, they probably used an undefined grade of ethanol in the extraction process. Who knows the quality and purity of the ethanol they used in the batch you are ingesting. This issue of the grade of solvent used is never covered in any COA where a herbal product is extracted. Reality.
I just checked. 250 grams for $64.50 is the typical price range for this purity.
COA should be current (no older than 2019) or related to your specific batch #, no heavy metals of any kind or below poison levels, greater > than 98% purity, and provided by and done by legitimate UK/US lab.
A valid COA costs money, which many retailers never spend.
That sounds rather damning! I’ll ring the firm tomorrow and see where/how they source. This is the trouble with taking this route of course: you’re at commercial enterprise’s mercy. 😕
I do not take Mucuna, but my doctor before she went to retirement suggest me to make from Sinemet liquid Sinemet and take every hour. But unfortunately it did not work out. I have a lot of dyskinesia. She told me if liquid Sinemet make a spot on your shirt it will be black color, so do not be scared. I believe similar happened with Mucuna. I am taking Sinemet 1,5 pills 25/100 every 2 hours including night time ER. If somebody can help me to start Mucuna along with Sinemet. I will deeply appreciate, I have at home Zandopa.
Thank you very much in advance! I was diagnosed in 2012, but had it I bet 8 years before. Any advice I appreciate!
Hi Jeeves, I take synthetic Levodopa aka Rytary and I have taken Sinemet before and ever since day one my ”excrement" or "stool" has always been black from day one. I read the tiny " million word" insert that comes with the bottle and voila, it is disclosed right there in the side effects.
BTW, I am not a fan of processed Mucuna beans with all of the peripheral nutrients stripped away.
I have learned that the organic, unprocessed powder such as from Banyan Pharmaceuticals is the real deal and I have received the benefits of natural levodopa. However, my stools still came out black. So, I would dare say that the 2% ”impurities” still give you a benefit 😊
In reading the warnings insert on my prescription of Sinemet 50/200 it says that taking it may cause one's sweat to stain one's clothes some degree of tan or brown . I saw no evidence personally of this until I did a purification program involving intense vitamins, minerals, and special oil intake, exercise, sauna and sweating. I surmise that this purification program was doing what it was supposed to do which included cleaning out the body and I would absolutely recommend this to anyone including Parkinsons patients. Doing this purification program improved all of my myriad Parkinson's symptoms. I was diagnosed in 2014 after having symptoms for at least two years.
because it is probably a micro level insoluble residue contained in the product due to either the solvent used in extraction or from the original germinated seeds used which they couldn't or didn't remove.
It should not occur regardless. I doubt it was processed in the UK or USA. Probably the Middle East, India, or China.
Thank you!!! What perfect timing. Last week I had a biopsy checking for cervical cancer, everything was OK. My specialist can't understand why I have dark staining on my panty liners. I have had many blood tests and urine tests over the last few years for various reasons and nothing sinister has shown up, but I have this problem of staining. I will print out these comments and show her on my next visit. Thanks Adam for raising the issue and thanks to all who contributed.
Staining of clothing (a la urine drips) from continual (3x or 4x) daily use of sinemet is one thing (as it is with some B vitamins); residue in your glass and sink that requires bleach to remove is another thing altogether.
Someone test it by crushing a sinemet tablet in a damp sink over night.
Thanks Sharon. I’m in the UK so probably can’t access some the Mucuna that is available in the US but I’ll shop around here and see what other stockists exist. Bit of a downer as the ‘black’ MP works very well. 😕
Barleans 40% is a very reputable brand and used by Hinz in his case studies...white or brown, cap or powder. barlowesherbalelixirs.com/m..., one pound for $90 USD. International shipping. Returns in 30 days. shipped from the state of Washington.
Nutrivita is another very good brand at 98-100%. $120 USD for 500 grams. Claims pharmaceutical grade. HPLC. Can't get any better. 50 grams for$30.
Nutrivita from US is what I use and it leaves a black stain as my post above said. B12 (and beets) also stain my unders so stains don't bother me. Don't know what all the fuss is about.
If it is 100% pure, it shouldn't leave any stains, none. Same goes for pharmaceutical grade methyl B-12.
Beet powder is different matter as are many herbal/plant products sourced from India and other countries like curcumin, curry, etc. Otherwise urine stains are usually the result of excreting excess water soluble waste (drips and drabs) after urination or IC episodes coming from functional kidney filtration and normal levels of hydration of H2O.
I seriously doubt Nutrivita sources the raw material for their 100% L-DOPA from a source here in the USA, and I doubt seriously they do their own extraction to reach the 100% claimed pharma grade. I'll bet on it.
I am not saying all the Chinese chem companies do a lousy job of controlling QC, (some don't depending on the price) but distributors do shop around for the best deal many times assuming the all batch COAs are valid and up to date.
Some USA brands do their own "in-house" testing to ensure Chinese or Indian QC.
MOST DON'T, or do so only randomly to save costs.
Generic copies of patented drugs fit the same M.O. Nothing different. QC is almost always the issue.
These are your own words>>>"Nutrivita is another very good brand at 98-100%. $120 USD for 500 grams. Claims pharmaceutical grade. HPLC. Can't get any better. 50 grams for$30." It's where I buy mine from. It stains!
I hate to nitpick my own words, but If you re-read my comment you will notice I deliberately chose the phrase: " Claims pharmaceutical grade." "Claims" is the critical word, and I chose it carefully because Nutrivita doesn't offer a COA on your or any other powder's batch # that I am aware of. They might if you insist, but they don't offer it.
All other things being equal, Barleans and Nutrivita are the best of the high % L-DOPA powders out there. Banyan and MicroIngredients are one step down but not truly what I would call high% powders.
In capsules, NOW and Double Woods (standardized extracts probably somewhere around 15-20%... both "claiming testing done in the USA"... Manufacturing probably refers only to encapsulation) are generally very reliable brands but not high% L-DOPA products.
Every thing depends on the specific batch in which your order resides, which is why COAs refer to a specific batch. Not all batches meet or exceed specifications. Things can and do change.
I have never bought MP or L-DOPA from any of these brands, and I have no vested interest in them.
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