Mucuna Pruriens, also called velvet beans, cows, funnels, itchy beans, among other names, is a tropical bean. This striking-looking plant with slightly pointed green leaves and beautiful clusters of dark purple flowers is remarkable in that its numerous health benefits are associated with memory, mood and libido, but only a few of them, and it is quickly becoming more and more popular due to its western integrity. for these reasons. It is also believed that Mucuna Pruriens can increase testosterone levels.
Mucuna pruriens are also drunk in some regions as a coffee substitute, which leads to another nickname “Nescafe” (although it is not associated with a commercial brand). Fresh beans can cook a delicious meal, but you need to soak the beans at least 1-48 hours before cooking due to toxins; This process removes chemicals, including L-Dopa and a small amount of tryptamine, ensuring that the beans are safe for consumption.
For centuries, Mucuna Pruriens has been used for its aphrodisiac properties. Even now, it is still used to increase libido in both sexes due to its dopamine concentration, which increases chemical properties. Dopamine is an important chemical messenger who, among other things, has a significant effect on sexual function and is believed to improve sperm release in men.
In addition to the effects of the aphrodisiac, Mucuna Pruriens and the effects of dopamine, it is used in Ayurvedic medicine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In fact, the way in which this remarkable bean raises levels of dopamine in the body is to absorb L-Dopa, which is naturally present in the plant, and it is this substance that has also found application in orthopedic medical science as an important Parkinson's disease. This particular use of L-Dopa was glorified by Robin Williams in the 1990 film Awakening.
Velvet beans thrive in a variety of conditions, prefers a lot of sun, prefers hum, but it treats dryness or lack of water. It should be planted on other plants, because Mucuna Pruriens adds nitrogen to the soil.
Skin contact with velvet bean pods should be avoided, because naturally, the pods create a thin coating of orange hair that can cause inflammation and blisters. Quite a lot of cultivars seem to have no hairs.
