Category Archives: fava beans and dopamine

Fava Beans

Fava Beans Question for Aunt Bean

Hi, I stumbled across your website today. Are the skins on the fava beans okay to eat and are there any nutrients in them? also if someone has already been taking the medicine for Parkinson’s Disease can they still use the fava beans? should they get off the medicine and just do a street diet with fava beans in it or should they stay on the medicine?
Thank you
The fava bean inner skins are ok to eat. Some people like them and some don’t.  The more mature the bean , the chewier they are.If you have never eaten fava beans, have a g6pd blood test done to make sure you do not have the enzyme deficiency that can be devistating if you have favism (look up on internet) A person taking PD meds can start slow on fava beans and if they help to relieve symptoms, you can very gradually cut back on meds. It is tricky and doctors won’t  usually know how to help you. If you overdose on beans, you might not notice. Keep a good journal of symptoms and when and how many beans eaten. Also when and type meds taken. Also other foods eaten. Everything comes together to be able to see the full picture. Put a special mark the times during the day when you really felt good. Some people can get completely off meds.. Fod Bless and guide you.
Aunt Bean

 

 

Sprouting Fava Beans

All about Sprouting Fava Beans for Dopamine

Aunt Bean:

I live in the city and got diagnosis of PD when it was already hot. Initially could not find any fresh fava beans at all & had difficulty finding dried beams.

Finally found some dried beams and started sprouting them.  What size of dried bean do you use?  Does size or the color of dried beans affect L-dopa amount?

The size and color of the fava beans does not matter,  though they will all have different amounts of L-dopa content. It would be best if you can find a source for the one you like best and use it consistently so each one does not effect your dopamine levels differently. You need to try to keep this as level as possible , and only take the smallest amount that you can to control symptoms. I think the more you take, the less your body thinks it needs to keep making and you want to just give it what it is lacking and not any more. If you are going the route of making food your medicine like I am….also supply it with nuts for thiamine, apples, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon and especially papaya (if you do not have a latex allergy) Gets lots of exercise and sunshine, breath deep , laugh, dance etc….

Recently found long fresh (6” or longer) Fava beans at vegetable stands and market but farmers growing season is almost over.

I am afraid I am using the wrong kind of dried  fava beans and preparing fresh and dried beans poorly. The beans I found are either small to medium sized with hull removed or large (1“ to 1 ½: long) with hull still intact. Have sprouted both but after 4 days most beans but not all have sprouted but no leaves.  Do I need to let the bean get a leaf?

A report sent to me by a researcher said that the 4th day of sprouting is generally the highest in dopamine content. Some varieties peak at day 3. *my guess is the ones that sprout a day before the others would peak first.  The beans do not need a leaf.

Dried FAVA BEANS : How I have been sprouting and processing:

1 –  Soaked beans for 24 hours

2 -  Rinse beans 2=4 times a day for 3-4 days (depended on when white , pointed sprout appeared)

3 –  rinsed hulled beans

4 – ?/ (you mention cutting away the bad parts.  Is that the black along the edges?)

5 – steamed raw beans for 4-6 minutes till tender.

6 – quick froze beans and then bagged for later use.

7 –  Eat/swallow 1/.4 to 1/2 beans as need for symptoms. This is good for me from ½ to 1½ hours.

How long can sprouts be kept without freezing or out of freezer? (mine seem to start going bad after 3-4 days in fridge)

In sprouting….after the final rinse.  Peel the beans, cut away black spots (beans should be white) they can have a light brown spot around where the little white point of the sprout emerges though, that’s ok.  Rinse beans again and steam for 5 minutes, not til tender (you will loose some dopamine). Freeze and eat as needed
I don’t understand eating 1/.4 to 1/2 bean  (Do you mean  :  1/2 a bean   or  1/2 an ounce   or 1/2 a cup?
You might keep a smaller bag of beans in freezer to keep from getting into the big one several times a day, or grind the beans and take out a tablespoon or what ever you need / or the amount you will use each day and put that in the refrigerator.

 

FRESH FAVA _ How I have been processing:

1 – Cut pods into 1” sections, include beans

2 – Steam pod lets for 6-10 minutes tender (fork  easily Penetrate)

3 – Quick freeze & then freeze & package in plastic bags

4 – Eat ¼ – ½ pieces of 1 ” pod periodically – seems to give quite a L-dopa rush if eat large piece, need to drink a lot of water

Sounds like your method is ok of processing them.  We like to remove the bean from the pod to enjoy with meals and they don’t have as much dopamine as sprouts or the pod. If you have a juicer, steaming the pods lightly until just bright green and then chilling them and juicing them works well. Then you don’t have the indigestible fibers. If the fiber don’t seem to bother you….that’s ok. With juicing them…you could freeze in ice cube trays and take out one and put in glass of water to sip on during the day as needed (keep  cold in fridge)   or  add ground flax seed or chia to thicken the juice and make “bean blobs” in the dehydrator about the size of a 1/2 teaspoon and dry them. We still freeze the blobs to keep them longer…up to a year and my friend only takes 1 or 2 a day.    I hope this helps you.

Thanks for your information.

Lyn

You are welcome. God Bless you and guide you on your journey with PD.

Aunt Bean

Fava Beans Experiment a Success

 Success with last experiment.  Harvested fava beans. Shelled the washed beans, and steamed the pods for about a minute til bright green. Then, threw the pods in food processor and chopped them up. Spread them out on dehydrator  mesh trays and turned it on to 125 degrees for at least 14 hours til completely  dry. Next I powdered them in coffee grinder. I have been able to take one and a half teaspoons In the morning and my symptoms didn’t  start showing  up til after 4 pm  and once I was ok until morning. I put the fava powder in with my morning  supplements and let it stand about 20 minutes to  rehydrate. It WORKED  for  me.
Hope this helps someone.
Love, Aunt Bean

Fava Bean Tincture

Hello.

My Dad is currently eating 4 oz of fresh fava beans a day. They store he is buying them will only have them during summer. How can he make it last?

If we are making tincture with pods and brandy ( why only brandy if I may ask), shake it for a month and use liquid. How much of this liquid is equal to the 4 oz he is eating now. He is eating pods and beans. How much pods do I need to last about 9 months? And is it ok to drink alcohol for the rest of
his life?

Also, is there a way to make powder out of pods. The question again how much powder equal to the 4 oz of fresh fava beans.

I couldn’t find any answers to these questions and will appreciate your help
very much.

Sincerely,

Laura

Brandy crosses the blood brain barrier, other alcohol does not do this so well I am told. I hold my extract under my tongue and that seems to make it work very quickly before it goes to my stomach.  You can also put the amount OF EXTRACT IN A COFFEE MUG AND POUR BOILING WATER OVER IT TO TAKE OFF THE brandy. I do  not know how many drops of tincture he will need for a dose.. Start small (10 drops perhaps and check the effect, and go up or down using the minimal amount for symptom relief. You will have to judge this for yourself and experiment. I started with 2 drops 3 times a day for a while.  This is my 7th year on tincture and now I require about 40 drops 4 to 6 times a day. Also eating egg plant and peppers are a great support with the fava  and especially papayas.
Hope this helps.
Aunt Bean

Fava Beans and Dopamine

Fave Beans and Dopamine

Dear Aunt Bean: 

My wife was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2010. She has been on medication of L-dopa /Carbidopa since then. Fava Beans are available plenty in India where we
live. How much Fava Beans Pod with beans inside one should consume each day to get adequate L dopa/dopamine? We regularly use in our cuisine. We do not want make tincture as it uses brandy.

Please help

S.Balasubramanian.

The pods have the most L-dopa content. The fiber is indigestible …so juice them and strain out the fibers. Experiment with taking a teaspoon every couple hours until the dopamine level feels right. Everyone is different so dosing level must be decided on to suit your wife’s individual  needs…increase or decrease as needed.

The strained juice can be frozen and a days dose taken out and refrigerated as needed. You can also dehydrate the juice by adding ground flax seed or other thickener and make “bean blobs.” Download the handbook on this website (click on the image of the book on the top right of this page) and read the page titled ” Fava Pod Juice”. I hope this will help you to use the fava beans efficiently for her needs .

God Bless you both.

Aunt Bean