Mucuna and When to Eat

[terni]

I've searched the group for answers on this topic. Dr said no food an hour before and hour after. Others say need food to keep from nausea. I am attempting to start HWP on Mucuna; he needs to eat more food to gain some weight back. Yet if we attempt MP just 3 times a day, there's little time for food. His only issue is left arm tremor. He sleeps the night just fine. Is 2 times a day enough to start? Also, if we begin a routine and life messes up the schedule for a day, what do we do?

[Thal]

mucunaparkinson.com/about-d...

[terni in reply to Thal]

Thank you for your info. Good site, but it does not specifically talk about taking mucuna and food.

[Buckholt]

Not specific to Mucuna but my experience using Levodopa. First dose is easy because I take it on an empty stomach before breakfast. After that meals are quite well spaced out anyway and I wait to eat once the dose has kicked in. Sometimes a dose fails and I just then eat anyway. Snacking between meals I find is tricky. Some people do experience nausea and no doubt they have a different approach.

[park_bear]

Nausea or not depends upon the type of Mucuna - the unconcentrated whole bean powder does not cause nausea as far as I know. The concentrated versions that have greater levodopa content can cause nausea.

Everyone is different with regard to food. I suggest experimenting and keeping notes to see what works best for him. Personally I take levodopa medication without regard to food.

[terni in reply to park_bear]

Thank you for your reply. Just a few more questions, do you take Mucuna and if so what brand? Do you take the 15% L-dopa and how often do you take it? I bought some 100% pure from Nutra Vita but I think it may be too much to start.

[park_bear in reply to terni]

I just take C/L ER because it is easier. If I were to take Mucuna I would use the unconcentrated whole bean powder which is around five percent levodopa, because that avoids nausea.

For example this:

amazon.com/gp/product/B00DV...

[WinnieThePoo]

The issue is levadopa absorption in the gut. It is not specific to macuna. It applies to the levadopa which is the active ingredient in macunaAny levadopa should be taken an hour before food or 2 hours after. I take mine at 7 when I get up, have breakfast between 8 and 8.30 take another at 12, lunch at 1, and another at 6 dinner at 7

The problem is protein competing for absorption. If he needs to eat something with a tablet eat carbohydrates like a packet of crisps or some chocolate or fruit

[terni in reply to WinnieThePoo]

Good schedule, but it will be difficult for HWP. He rises at 8 and on stay-home days yours would work. But 1x a week he golfs from 8.30 to 1pm and 2x a week he plays billiards from 4pm to 8.3pm. I am trying to find a way to get this in and not have him give up what he enjoys. Also, he's lost 25 pounds and needs to put it back on, DR recommends protein shakes.

He did have a terrible gut issue, but we have solved that so I'm trying to figure this out.

[Gcf51]

Supposedly, everyone is different in regards to food. Here's a link to my post "How I went from 13 to 4 a day"healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

[Trailing]

My husband takes an organic whole seed powder of Mucuna Pruriens. As someone else has said, morning doss is no problem as he takes it first thing on an empty stomach. He takes his other two dosses 30 minutes before lunch and supper. In those 30 minutes he can tell that it has kicked in. He also adds 1000 mg of vitamin C powder (it has to be ascorbic acid form) with it to avoid any nausea and the vitamin C he would take anyway. He has taken the white extract form in the past the same way with no problems. The point of not taking with food is to be sure he is getting the benefits of the El-Dopa before it gets compromised with the food. At least that is our understanding. Hope this helps.

[terni in reply to Trailing]

morning dose is the hardest. he wants to eat 1st thing.

[GrandNan]

Hello my husband has used Macuna exclusively for the last 4 years:Barlowes brown Macuna - we buy bulk & ordered a capsule maker online. I called the company, and they use the 00 size capsules

From all I have read here on this forum, the problem seems to be iron, which blocks absorption. So he has 1 piece of bread (no iron added) with 1 slice cheese first thing in the morning - about 10 min before he takes his brown Macuna . Something to add a little to his stomach

He also takes it with 1 quercetin, 1 -250 mg G +1 green tea extract with his Macuna, which acts like a carbidopa: stops the nausea & aids in absorption, from what I understand

That has stopped the violent nausea. He takes Macuna also 1 hour before lunch, and 1 hour before dinner

Since his stomach is not totally empty, like in the am, he is alright in the other meal times

[HealingGroove]

I add a bit of ground cinnamon and ginger to my mucuna to help with nausea. I also only eat one meal a day (over a five hour stretch) an hour or so after my last dose of Mucuna which also includes kind of intense one to two hour wearing off time of dyskinesia and tremors. I usually eat just a little before the wearing off time and the main meal when the dyskinesia and tremors pass.