At the World Parkinson Conference, a number of attendees asked presenters about natural levodopa sources as an option or a supplement to their pills. There are natural levodopa sources, however they come with challenges and risks. Certainly, using natural products appeals to a large proportion of the general population as well as the PD population. Before using any of these, consult with your neurologist.
Mucuna Pruriens Plant The macuna is an plant native to India that produces pods containing levodopa. Patients who consume macuna have reported improvement in their PD symptoms. There is also a small amount of research that collaborates this claim. The National Parkinson Foundation has an article on their Web site about Macuna pruriens. Click here to read it.
Fava Bean The fava bean contains levodopa, long before it is ripe. However, mature beans do not contain levodopa. It is processed out as the plant and beans grow. Click here to read an article from Medtronic about the fava bean.
Most neurologists who treat PD know about mucuna and fava. A neurologist leading one of the Congress sessions introduced them as a potential treatment. However, getting physicians to adopt new therapies requires a high threshold of scientific evidence. This threshold is a cornerstone of the medical institution's success, and it may also present some barriers. Neither macuna pods nor fava beans have been studied enough to know how to best use them to treat PD. Furthermore, they are concerned because the amount of levodopa in macuna pods and fava beans varies. One batch may contain high concentrations, while others may have minimal amounts.