Upon first glance, it would seem Mucuna Pruriens is natures totally hidden secret that wanted to stay a secret. These tiny little little tiny beans live in pods that are covered in thousands of tiny hairs known to cause intense pain and itching in those unlucky enough to touch it. However, hidden away in the pods are one of nature’s most interesting beans. Like coffee, Mucuna Pruriens is psychoactive, but in a far more medicinal and absolutely non-addictive way. Fortunately, only if you live in the jungle, you need to worry about touching one of the prickly pods.
Mucuna Pruriens has been rising to fame recently and now is easily and readily available in most health food stores and of course, from my two favorite superfood purveyors, Sun Potion and Moon Juice in quite potent form. I personally started with Moon Juice’s and then upgraded to Sun Potion’s as it was a higher and even more potent dose (15%). I ordered both from my favorite store, Cap Beauty. You can also buy from other brands on Amazon, but I trust the above too and as always, you have to be careful where you source supplements from. Mucuna Pruriens promotes an overall well being feeling, lifting moods significantly.
This caramel tasting powder, Mucuna Pruriens is one of the only naturally occurring (and the most concentrated) sources of L-Dopa, an amino acid that is a precursor to Dopamine. In fact, Mucuna is so rich in the dopamine precursor L-Dopa that it is used as an alternative treatment for Parkinson’s disease, which is believed to be caused (in part) by a lack of the essential neurotransmitter. This is the closest thing that exists to a natural, safe non-addictive antidepressant or mood enhancer. Nature’s prozac baby!
Benefits:
- Well Being
- Mood Enhancement
- Men’s Fertility (increase sperm motility, and hence fertility, in men)
- Menstrual symptoms in women (lowers levels of prolactin, which can reduce menstrual discomfort and associated weight gain in women)
- Sounder sleep
- Soothe the Nervous System
- Enhance brain function
- Anti-Aging (The high concentrations of L-Dopa cause the brain to release dopamine, in turn stimulating the pituitary gland to produce human growth hormone, which promotes muscle growth, increased strength, and has been proven to raise levels of testosterone and EVEN help with anti-aging.)
This superpower powder is easy to incorporate into your daily tonic, I blend in my morning matcha or coffee (and I mix some tocos in for extra sweetness). It gives a slight caramel taste and an insta-boost of feel good vibes. I like to think of this as my organic mood elevator.
You can read more scientific studies on this magical bean here on depression and here on Parkinsons and here on men’s fertility and stress. Powerful stuff.
Have you tried yet?
