i have noticed there is a lot of confusion regarding Mucuna supplements and dosages. There are 2 good published studies (see below for links) showing wide discrepancies regarding how much actual Levodopa content is in the supplement. Due to it being a food supplement there is little testing and regulation as to its actual chemical content which is a big reason doctors advise against it as they can not know what you are actually taking even if you read the label accurately. For clarification, simple Mucuna seed powder is generally 4-7% L-Dopa. Then if you look at extracts you will typically see ranges of 15%-99.6% L-Dopa (take that % and multiply it by the mg of the Mucuna extract to get "claimed" L-Dopa). Studies in reputable journals show wide ranges for many popular Mucuna extracts sold online...some have almost no detectible levels of L-Dopa while claiming they do! As such many who try Mucuna Powder or Extracts may dismiss it as not working when in reality they are getting little to any therapeutic level of L-Dopa or in some cases way too much. Unfortunately we are on our own so PLEASE look at the studies and get 3rd party confirmation of how much L-Dopa you are really getting. Please don't just go buy a bottle of Mucuna Supplements and expect to have the same results as clinical trials and studies. You NEED to look carefully at what you're taking, dosages and then make a fair assessment. I suspect people would have much better results if they did the homework.
A standardized mucuna supplement was recently launched here in the UK called MacuDopa. Each capsule contains 100mg L-dopa. MacuDopa.com There is a slow release capsule for night-time.
Thanks for posting the links. It’s certainly a minefield! I’m looking for a 15% formulation in a 200 mg capsule to just test whether I’m ok with macuna before I try a higher dose, but I’m finding it really difficult to find lower formulations. Any tips or recommendations?
I'm just curious, are you going to add anything to it like carbidopa or green tea ( to cross the blood brain barrier)or is this going to be added to your current regimen?I have a prescription for C /L but haven't used it. I'm wondering if I should try mucana first.
At first I’ll be swapping one of my synthetic levodopa (madopar) doses for mucuna. So I’ll have some benserazide (like carbidopa with Sinemet) from the synthetic doses. As I understand it it’s because of this lack of carbidopa or benserazide that doses of natural levodopa should be four or five times the dosage. I think I read that it’s believed that mucuna has an ingredient that works like carbidopa anyway. I think people who are not yet on medication just start off with Mucuna. I believe you have to be careful about adding green tea. Have you read “Mucuna vs Parkinson’s”? By Dr Maldonado, the Spanish neurologist who advises on Mucuna. You can book a video consultation.
i just want to stress that the point of my original Post is to be careful as it's not simply about reading the label. Many supplement providers are providing little or any of what's claimed to be on the label. This is one of the reasons health care providers are reluctant to encourage it as they have no way of knowing what the true content is. The linked articles show examples of some brands and i would try to find one that has been verified for actual L-Dopa content.
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Mucuna Pruriens.
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Mucuna dosage help please
