I recently started taking NOW brand Mucuna (120mg LDopa) along with my 1/2 Sinemet tablet in 4-hour intervals. Its been only 3 weeks, but I can feel the Mucuna working, even with the Sinemet dosage halved! I also ordered ZANDOPA from India. Can you comment on these 2 products? Â
Thanks.
Javier
Response:
It is wonderful to hear that the source of mucuna (which is a natural source of dopamine) which you have discovered seems to be helping significantly. Hooray! From interviews I have done with herbalists, there are few, if any, commercial sources of high quality Mucuna that are available.
Andrew Bentely, a herbalist who was featured in the 2009 edition of Pioneers of Recovery, reports that he does not prescribe Mucuna for his patients because he is unable to find a supply that is reliable. What he looks for is Mucuna that is grown in the wild which he has been unable to find anywhere in the world.
I have even had calls from some people who report that their supply of Mucuna had been working beautifully for them until they received a re- shipment – which fizzled. As you can see, reports are scattered all over the place.
I do not have any recommendations for a reliable source of Mucuna for these reasons. If sounds like your source may be a goldmine. I hope it continues to be useful.
One of the presenters at the Parkinsons Recovery Summit, Aunt Bean (Sandra), will offer a workshop where she will give point by point instructions on how to make their own dopamine at home from the sprouts of fava beans (or the tips if you have a garden). Her homemade tincture offers her wonderful relief from the symptoms of Parkinsons that she currently experiences. The Summit this year is in Cincinnati, Ohio June 22-23.
I do not have any specific information about the medicine you ordered from India, though I am certain it would depend on the specific source.
Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Pioneers of Recovery
http://www.pioneersofrecovery.com