Aunt Bean from Tennessee, United States sends greetings from America. I have Parkinson's Disease. I treat my PD naturally and do very well.

[Fava-1]

Just a quick note from Aunt Bean. I depend on fava beans for most of my PD symptom relief. Making my own L-dopa extract with both the stem top buds and fava bean pods in brandy. Also using herbs, vitamins , organically grown vegies from our farm here in TN. It is a lot of work, but the fresh air, and exercise with vegies in return is much better than paying to go to a gym to workout! I also make fermented papaya , and fermented vegies. Now experimenting with taking moringa powder from the dried leaves of moringa tree. I am also attempting to grow 4 moringa dwarf trees this year. So far after just a few days of taking the powder, I am sleeping better , which is a big plus.

[Hidden]

Welcome Aunt Bean. I am glad that you are doing well. Good luck with the moringa trees. Are you able to grow turmeric as well? For me, a combination of turmeric in the form of curcumin capsules and olive leaf extract supplements my Sinemet CR medication, and everything is working very well.

[Fava-1 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, I grew turmeric last year, haven't got a root as yet this year to plant though. I use it all the time in cooking and take a capsule a day. Very happy with it. Aunt Bean

[nourilo]

Do you sell your extract?

[Fava-1 in reply to nourilo]

Do not sell extract, it is labor intensive and I try to make a 2 year supply for myself , not knowing what kind of year or crop there will be next year. Last year, made very little stem top tincture. My dad was sick and I had to make 3 trips to Florida. Thankfully, we had a spring crop of beans and did a good amount of pod tincture. Farming is uncertain business. Drought, floods, pollination issues, etc Aunt Bean

[Ecotiny in reply to Fava-1]

Hello Antoine from Romania. We want to begin a fava beans production here. I just buy fava beans seeds from Spain. Can I also make sprouts from the seeds? Can we come to visit you at your farm to learn more about the tincture? Thanck you! God bless you!

[Fava-1 in reply to Ecotiny]

We have had visitors to the farm to show how we grow fava beans and how I make my L-dopa extract (tincture) and fermented papaya

[MissRita in reply to Fava-1]

Hi Aunt Bean, how can I visit your farm to learn the recipe? I have PD and I cannot find a good fava bean tincture. Any information would be great!

[Fava-1 in reply to MissRita]

Did you ever start growing fava beans?

[ryanJames1]

Hi and well done! I have added raw organic cacao I'm sure it's helped my tremor !

[Fava-1 in reply to ryanJames1]

I do eat some bakers chocolate and make from scratch chocolate pudding with almond milk

[cshamb in reply to Fava-1]

How do u make the chocolate puddingplease

[Fava-1 in reply to cshamb]

My RECIPE for gluten-free , practically sugar-free

CHOCOLATE PUDDING :

First separate 5 eggs .( Keep the whites to use for some other recipe) and beat the egg yolks, and set aside for the moment.

In a heavy saucepan mix

6 Tablespoons of cocoa Powder, 3 Tablespoons of Carob powder,

3 Tablespoons of stevia powder, 2 Tablespoons xylitol powder,

2 Tablespoons coconut palm sugar. 2 squares bakers chocolate

mix in: 3 1/2 Cups of cold milk, 2 Tablespoons of butter

and 3/4 teaspoon of salt .

Heat this on medium heat, stirring until hot and then mix a little of the hot liquid into the egg yolks several times , beating them to warm the eggs before transferring them to the saucepan. Stir well and cook until thickened.

Then add: 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir well

Cool chocolate pudding and enjoy.

[Fava-1 in reply to Fava-1]

Add to chocolate pudding recipe 6 Tablespoons of cornstarch in saucepan with cocoa, etc....sorry I missed typing this!!! Aunt Bean

[Mondoug]

Thank you Aunt Bean - from Mondoug. I have been mixing Mucuna pruriens (from Velvet Bean) with Pharma meds. Since discovering that beans contain useable amounts of dopamine - have trialled Atremorine - which Spanish Researchers developed from fava beans. 3 months trial - too expensive, and I have had difficulty analysing clearly whether it has had a definite effect on Parkinson symptoms. Thus am very interested in your process of using the Fava bean!!

[Fava-1 in reply to Mondoug]

Hi Mondoug... I have been taking my fava bean tincture now since 2009 and doing very well. Most people don't know I have PD when we meet. It usually is brought up in conversation, since I help with 2 local support groups and share about herbs when people say they have a physical issue. God is good Aunt Bean

[gurdeep11 in reply to Fava-1]

Where can you buy the tincture from

[Fava-1 in reply to gurdeep11]

I don't know anyone that sells it. I grow my own fava beans. Have been making tincture since 2009. I posted on Neurotalk Community Parkinson's site ever since then.Posted under Aunt Bean (four acres to grow favas) So anyone can read about our many experiences there. I also post on Robert Rodgers site Parkinsons Recovery under the fava bean blog. There is a downloadable booklet on fava beans there. It will answer many questions for you. Aunt Bean

[AmyLindy in reply to Fava-1]

Thank ya for info- for one person on low dose requirement can we grow what we need in a typical 2x4 raised bed? Or 4x6 maybe?

[Fava-1 in reply to AmyLindy]

Hi Amy... a 4x6 bed would grow only about 21 plants. I plant huge garden spaces. Started out doing 2 thousand plants. After finding out that I could use the pod juice or make tincture from them (instead of throwing pods in compost) I know grow about 200 to 300 a year. I plant the end of Feb or first couple weeks in March, whenever the weather cooperates. You can just sprout the seed in the kitchen for about 4 to 5 days, (until they grow a little tail) peel them, rinse and lightly steam them. Then you can eat how ever many a day it takes for your dopamine requirements. It took 15 frozen fava bean sprouts in the morning and about 6 more mid afternoon to keep me going when I experimented with only using them a few years ago. Hope that helps. Only use organically grown sproutable fava bean seeds.

[Fava-1 in reply to Mondoug]

some people here in TN have good success taking 1 mucuna capsule am and late afternoon to supplement pharmaceuticals for PD

[HeartSong]

Aunt Bean, your posts were among the first I read with a lot of interest when I was diagnosed about 6 years ago. I thought of you only about a week ago and wondered how you were getting along. It sounds like you are getting along splendidly. That's good to hear.

I'd like to ask a couple of fava-related questions. 1) By relying on fava beans, have your PD symptoms increased over the years? Have you had to take more of the fava beans to get the same effect as previously?

2) Have you ever taken mucuna pruriens? If so, how does its effect on you compare with the fava bean's effect?

[Fava-1 in reply to HeartSong]

Hi Heart Song. Yes I am doing just fine. I try to avoid stress , which the same as everyone else with PD will bring to me symptoms that I don 't usually face. It has to be something major though to really affect me. Yes , the symptoms have progressed over the last few years, but I only went from taking 2 drops of tincture 2 times a day to taking a dropper full about 5 times a day. Now though, eating nuts with thiamine...I am back to a half dropper to a dropper full once a day. I am stronger than I have ever been. I tried mucuna, but it seems to strong for me. Favas are a gentle support

[HeartSong in reply to Fava-1]

Aunt Bean, I hope you won't mind me pressing you for a few more details. In what way was the mucuna too strong for you?

[Fava-1 in reply to HeartSong]

Do you remember the TV series called The Halk, where the main character turned from whimpy, weak character into a muscle bound person and his shirt would split open as his muscles grew. In eating the mucuna beans that I grew, that is what I felt like after one small steamed fresh bean. The mucuna would help me to pull start a weedeater, just eating one very small bean. I loaded a haywagon with a pitchfork after eating a large bean, when 20 minutes before I could hardly lift the hay fork with a small amount of hay on it, let alone throw the hay into the wagon.

[HeartSong in reply to Fava-1]

Lady, I think you could have sold your home-grown, Halking, Tennessee mucunas and made a lot of money! The image of you out in the field loading the hay wagon with a pitch fork is downright inspirational! If I decide to try mucunas, I'll be sure to start small and go slowly. Thank you.

[Fava-1 in reply to HeartSong]

I didn't like being the Halk, but I did get a few big jobs done that I couldn't have done, otherwise For other people...taking a mucuna capsule doesn't do that, it gives the good support. Guess I am sensitive to the bean or possibly the fresh harvested steamed beans are more powerful than dried capsules. Aunt Bean

[Hidden in reply to Fava-1]

Yes...eating nuts with thiamine...

[Motal]

AB. SpecifIcally speaking, what symptoms have your fava beans and tinctures eased? Do you have any symptoms that are resistant to the remedies you have made?

My questions stem from the fact that there are several subtypes of PD and what works for one type doesn't necessarily work for the others. Any light much appreciated.

[Fava-1 in reply to Motal]

Hi Motal.... The symptoms I have without taking my L-dopa extract are neck and slight hand tremor, right foot turns sideways and will drag/trouble picking up that leg, gait uneven, eyes not focusing well, incontinence, hard to remember things, choking and aspirating food and saliva, bent shoulders, no left arm swing, tiredness, much pain in upper back and neck. Terrible drooling at night. Eye focus slowness since 4th grade was gone when starting L-dopa, also the gait and right leg/foot problem that started with a diving injury...nope they were PD at about 8th grade!! Stress/ injury/ trauma/chemical sensitivities can bring on PD symptoms that do not manifest until something stressful happens sometimes. PD also runs in our family, but my brother had no symptoms until he was about 59 I think. I have a gene for PD that he didn't have, but ,he was a welder. My grandfather and his brother both had PD also.

[Fava-1 in reply to Motal]

I have Lrrk2 mutation, symptoms early in life. my brother, grandfather and his brother all had PD...several others in family with symptoms. my brother did not have the mutation. I started making tincture from fava plant part back in 2009...symptoms then were poor balance, writing difficulties, eye problems with focusing slowly, heavy drooling at nite, begining incontinence ,etc...the tincture saved me from these. The consumption of nuts helped reduce amount if ldopa and sped up my mandolin playing which was really slow and I couldn't switch from harmony to melody...now I can

[Fava-1 in reply to Motal]

Hi. Main symptoms without fava were. ..right foot turned and would drag especially when tired., heavy drooling at night, slow eye focus, memory and writing difficulties, starting to get incontinent, balance and gait were off, driving becoming impossible. Neck and shoulders tight and very painful. Now with fava....my Left hand slows down to nearly nothing when low in dopamine, I choke on food, and the pain starts back up in neck and shoulders.balance and gait become off. Then, I take tincture and usually within 5 minutes, I am back to normal with no symptoms. It never fails to amaze me

[AmyLindy in reply to Fava-1]

What store bought version of MPor Fava can you recommend until I get my crops going, Aunt Bean? I’m 115 lbs and not yet on L Dopa/ avoiding it, using mannitol and HDT HCL B1 instead... I’m small and likely to be-super responsive to low doses like you, The Hulk!

Amy

[AmyLindy in reply to Fava-1]

I’m ready to find seed🎗where to begin?