Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume native to
India that has since spread to Africa, The Caribbean, and South America traditionally used as a coffee alternative, a
treatment for Parkinson's disease, and as a South American Shamanistic plant. It's active compound is believed to be L-Dopa (5-8%) which is
the direct precursor for Dopamine, a neurochemical believed to be heavily responsible for mood, energy, focus, movement, and motivation. L-Dopa works similarly to the serotonin precursor 5-htp in that it
bypasses the normal barriers that limit the amount of the respective
neurotransmitter available to the brain and body. Other alkaloids of Mucuna pruriens include 5-htp,
serotonin, nicotine, various tryptamines, salsolinol, and
beta-carbolines that are believed to have an effect on testoterone,
libido, and muscle growth.
When taken alone, Mucuna increases the activity of the bodies natural hormone production and produces more HGH (Human growth hormone) as well as limiting the production of the compound prolactin, believed to be responsible for the feelings of sexual hangover. Thanks to these traits, Mucuna serves as an excellent tonic for improving ones sex life and libido. When Mucuna is taken with green tea, it provides a more noticeable mental stimulation than without. Mucuna is also believed to play a
key role when it comes to the body producing it's own natural endorphins and could serve as a mild analgesic in addition to it's energy improving effects.
Mucuna is an excellent herb for stimulating the body and mind, increasing hormone production, lifting the mood, improving focus, and reducing anxiety while improving confidence. It is commonly referred to as Nescafe and Indian coffee in it's native habitat, providing a similar lift that one might experience from coffee, with a much gentler stimulation. Mucuna also can serve as an effective tool for those trying to quit stimulant drugs, replenishing the parts of the body that are expended by substance abuse.
Mucuna has many different varieties, colors, tastes and effects
depending on where the bean is grown, whether it is wild or cultivated,
and possesses a very large variable range of constituents. No two Mucuna pruriens plants are the same, and thanks to the ability of this bean to migrate across oceans and grow in foreign lands, the types, colors, tastes, and effects can vary greatly.
Optimal methods of consumption are mixing an
equal weight of ground Mucuna beans with Green tea and simmering for
5-10 minutes. Other herbs to modulate or potentate the
effects include: cayenne, black pepper, turmeric, coffee or guayusa,
catuaba, muira puama, raw cacao etc. For more effective pain relieving effects, Mucuna should be mixed with herbs such as corydalis, rang jeud, red sage root, sacred lotus, etc. If Mucuna is considered for long
term use, it is recommended to take 5-htp alongside of it to prevent an
imbalance of serotonin to dopamine.
Mucuna can also be smoked as an effective way to quit tobacco, the leaves and shoots
being much easier to inhale than the bean itself. Upon heating, L-Dopa
is converted into Dopamine, and combined with the trace amounts of nicotine present in the plant, makes quitting tobacco a whole lot easier. Lobelia inflata also makes an excellent addition to Mucuna foliage when quitting Tobacco, thanks to the compound lobeline, which satisfies nicotine receptors without causing the addictive rush nicotine is known for.
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