All posts by Parkinsons Recovery

Fava Bean Sprouts L-Dopa

Fava Bean Sprouts L-Dopa

I live in Texas so I won’t be able to grow fava beans until it gets cold. But if I bought the dried beans and cooked  them, can I still get some benefits as far as symptom relief?

Jeannette

Dried beans soaked and cooked up do not give much L-dopa. But, if you buy organic, sproutable fava beans and soak them in filtered water for 24 hr…then sprout them 3 days according to the instructions on the downloadable booklet on Robert’s site….they have about 2mg L-dopa per sprout. They  can be steamed lightly until chewable..then frozen and used as needed. In experimenting….it took about 16 sprouts at the beginning of my day to jump start me with L-dopa and they took about 45 minutes to “Kick IN” so my finger tapping was up to speed.  I needed 3 or 4 more sprouts about 3:00 in the afternoon and at bedtime to function efficiently just on sprouts.   Make sure you read all the precautions in the book about using favas before you start trying them.    

God Bless You.      

 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

Fava Bean Tincture

Hi Aunt bean,

Of course I am a Parkinson’s patient.

I made fava bean tincture from beans but instead of putting them in the dark as I read later. I placed them in a clear jar and on the  kitchen counter in the light (shady place) in sunny California.

Is the tincture still good or is the L-Dopa killed with light?

Thank you.

Response:

Tinctures always have better shelf life if kept away from light exposure. If you have started to use it and it was working , but losing it’s effect from being in the light awhile…you will know the l-dopa has been diminished. It would not make the tincture harmful, just less effective. You can not say the l-dopa would be killed since it is not a living substance, just an extract form a bean.

Next time do keep the extract inside a dark place while shaking for a month and place in a amber or dark blue bottle in a dark place for storage…or place a clear jar in a paper bag in the dark for storage. Hope this clarifies your question…

Aunt Bean

Aunt Bean’s Fava Bean Tincture

My father’s Experience with Aunt Bean’s fava bean tincture

“At first, we (my father and I) want to thank Aunt Bean for having invented such a wonderful natural remedy for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Of course we are also sincerely grateful for Dr. Robert Rodgers for his unique research and website that offer so much help and inspiration for those in need.

I prepared Aunt Bean’s fava bean tincture from sprouted fava beans according to the instructions on her blog. I prepared the tincture for my 66-year old father who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. My father has been going through severe tremor in the right hand, general slowness and stiffness of movements, and a softened voice. At the moment, he has been taking half a teaspoon of the tincture three times a day for one month and this is what he reports:

The most noticeable improvement is in the movements of the body. After taking the tincture, the ordinary daily chores require much less effort. It is easier to drive, play the guitar, practice yoga, cook healthy food, and socialize. The tincture has also improved my mood by reducing any kinds of depression and anxiety. Although the tincture itself does not cure the disease and did not remove my tremors, it helps the whole process of recovery by “helping and supporting you to keep going”. I have noticed that the efficiency of the tincture at least for me is much higher when I strive to maintain a positive mind set and an active and inspiring life.

Because we live in Finland, I used Finnish fava beans for the tincture. I was very careful to follow Aunt Bean’s protocol for tincture preparation as she had described it. Whenever I felt unsure about some step, I asked Aunt Bean for an advice (by email) and she immediately replied me with plenty of information. Before starting the tincture preparation, I made a plan when to do each step. Although the whole process takes about a month, the individual steps are easy, fast, and convenient. The alcohol content in brandy is enough (~40 %) to protect it from microbial contamination. Aunt Bean told me that the tincture is sensitive to light, so I found some brown glass bottles from the pharmacy. If somebody has trouble finding such bottles, I encourage them to ask the pharmacists. They always have such products in store but do not necessarily keep them available all the time. Another way to protect light-sensitive substances is to wrap a regular glass bottle with aluminum foil and store it in the dark.

If somebody would like to try the tincture, but has trouble with finger movements etc. due to progressed condition, I strongly encourage you to ask a family member or a friend to do it for you. It is not difficult, although requires care and attention on the instructions.”

Wishing you all the best,

Nina

Fava Beans Winter Farm Update 2015

Well, it is January 2015. This seems unbelievable to me as I
think back in time and remember that I didn’t think we would see 2000.
But somehow, the world marches on. Some of us to the beat of a different drummer, but still we march!

It is about a month and a half away from the time to plant fava beans here in East Tennessee. It has been so cold already that I have not been able to work in the garden much to make necessary preparations for them yet. Was able to get out Monday for several hours and cut down 2 patches of corn stalks / tomato , pepper and okra plants. Put up a few of the bean tepees and finished cutting pallets in half for a raised bed. ..in which I piled corn stalks to breakdown and create looser soil for potatoes to grow better in. Wanted to inform you also that Aunt Bean is signed up for Rock Steady Boxing Training Camp in Indianapolis , Indiana in April.

I met these people at the WORLD PARKINSON’S CONGRESS in Montreal Canada . I was so impressed that I wanted to participate in their program and get others involved. Also, a new fava booklet has just been published and is available in paper form and will soon be available as a pdf download. It has been heavy on my mind to get this finished and finally it is done! Hope you all are trying to get some sunshine these cold winter days…and exercise can be had anywhere….dance for PD has a DVD that you can use in your own home. Just don’t sit around . Do something creative and fun today.

Much Love,

|Aunt Bean

Fava Bean Tincture for Parkinson’s Disease

Thank you so much for your wonderful website on the fava bean tincture. It has been a great help and inspiration (source of happiness and hope) for me and my father. Dad is 66 years old and has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s last year. He is not taking any medicine, but is doing all he can to lead a natural and balanced life. Both he and I believe that he can recover from the disease.

We found the link to Aunt Bean’s blog about fava bean tincture from www.parkinsonsrecovery.com. I have a few questions to Aunt Bean about the tincture making process, and really appreciated if you could forward my email to her. My dad has quite severe tremor in his right hand and also suffers from loss of power in that hand and overall low energy levels. Since he does not take any meds (I am so proud of him), we would be very grateful for replies to these questions. We live in Finland and because English is not our native language, I did not understand the recipe so well.

So many thanks for such wonderful work!

I read the instructions about how to make tincture about sprouted fava beans. However, I did not understand everything and have a few of short questions about the process.

Aunt Beans answers to questions about her fava bean tincture:

1) Do you sprout dried fava beans?

ANSWER: I sprout the organic fava seeds/beans
** Is it fine to use dried fava beans for sprouting if one does not have an access to the fresh kind?
ANSWER: You cannot sprout the fresh beans unless they are very mature, in which under the right conditions , they will drop out of the bean pod onto the ground and begin to grow if covered with soil or mulch

2) After the 4 day-period of sprouting the beans you write that you mashed sprouts in a jar with 3/4 C brandy. Do you mash both the bean and the sprout or do you separate these?

ANSWER: I did mash the bean and the sprouted growth. One batch I let grow several inches in a shallow bowl (rinsing daily) and cut up the whole bean and plant that had started. These tinctures have not been tested for l-dopa content yet…..but, praise God, I may have a professor now that is interested in natural l-dopa at the college who may test for me when he returns from India the end of January…first chemist yet that showed an interest!

3) I do not understand what 3/4 C means (sorry). Is it the same as centiliters or another unit?

ANSWER: One Cup is 16 ounces…(3/4 Cup would be 12 ounces)
does that help?

4) What do you mean by shaking it for a month? Can I just leave the mixture at room temperature (or cold?) and shake it 1-3 times a day or do you mean something else?

ANSWER: Yes room temperature is fine. I usually put them in
a cupboard in the kitchen so they are in the dark and get them out to
shake them

5) You write that a person could start with a few drops. Does this apply for both the clear tincture and the sediment or should one be more careful with the sediment i.e. if it’s more concentrated?

ANSWER: The sediment after straining out the plant material is not really more
concentrated, it just needs to be kept separate from the clear liquid that
is siphoned off because it will not keep well as far as shelf life goes

6) My last questions are about the part of the plant that is best to use for the tincture. In the recipe I read about sprouts, but in the other parts of the blog I find some information about using pods or flowers and young leaves of the fava bean plant. What is best?

ANSWER: If you are growing your own plants…you can eat the leaves or
dry and powder them to put into food (like using parsley) The flowers
make a nice tincture against anxiety and panic attacks and don’t have
to be dried before adding brandy to them. The part I use for my l-dopa
supplement usually is a cluster or bud at the top of each stem.
I separate it from the leaves and stem and break it in half if it is larger
than a half inch around and dry them in a dehydrator at low temperature
before putting them in brandy to tiincture.

Is it possible to grow the beans inside an apartment in pots?

ANSWER: If you have a very sunny window. I had one reach a foot tall in my
kitchen window…which only gets a couple hours of sun a day
It was very spindly and tall…trying to find sunshine

Sorry to post you so many questions and many thanks in advance. We really appreciate it.

ANSWER You are very welcome, let me know if this answers your questions sufficiently. I am thankful to be able to share what knowledge I have gained over the past 5 and a half years of growing favas. . Also have him try eating pumpkin seeds and passion flower extract for the tremor/ I also eat papayas, if he doesn’t have a latex allergy.

May God Bless you and Guide you as you strive to take care of your dad’s PD symptoms naturally

Aunt Bean

Reverse Parkinson’s Naturally

Looking to reverse Parkinson’s naturally?
Having difficulty sorting through all the options that have helped other people reverse their symptoms?

Check out the January 2015 Jump Start to Wellness Program and get all t he support and help you need to steer a steady course down the road to recovery …

www.jumpstart.parkinsonsrecovery.com

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
877-526-4646

 

Fava Beans Q&A

Below are answers prepared by Aunt Bean to questions submitted by Binod from Napel about her fava beans tincture.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons Recovery

Hello Aunt Bean,

Thank you for the post about the importance of Fava beans against PD.

1> Does Fava Bean cure Parkinsons Disease or just work to control?

ANSWER: Favas do not cure…my symptoms are still progressing but taking a larger amount of tincture has still kept things under control.

2>Does it work for everyone with Parkinson’s Disease?

ANSWER: Favas do not work for everyone , just like dr. meds do not work for everyone. Also there is a condition called favism that make favas dangerous for those people. Thinking of using favas…please get a G6pd blood test to make sure you do not have favism. People on MAOI should talk to their doctor about using fava..used together can cause blood pressure spike. Fava beans are rich in tyramine, and thus should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors.

3>Can one eat sprouted steamed fava beans after peeling them for the
best result?

ANSWER: Sprout favas/ peel/ rinse well then steam and there are endless possibilities on how to use them… ground and made into humus/ cookies/ veggie patties/ just throw steamed sprouts in at the end of stir fried veggies..yummy!

4> I could not get how to prepare tincture. Would you please tell me on this?

ANSWER: This question has been answered on many previous posts…please go back and read again

5> I come to understand Bakula as fava bean in Nepal. Am I correct?

ANSWER: You would have to consult with an agricultural person in that country that speaks english and would know if they are favas

6>The fava beans available and grown in Nepal is good for this purpose or not?

ANSWER: I do not know

7>What is the dose? How much and how many times a day to be taken?
How much time does it take for the positive result to come to patient?

ANSWER: Everyone with PD is so different and it has happened from different causes. Everyone’s needs are different and each person will have to start slow and listen to his or her body on how much they need and how often. Some people start feeling relief after only a day or so on beans. I had relief after less than an hour on tincture. If you have fresh organically grown beans available…wash and use the pods…they have l-dopa also…good for juicing to get rid of the fiber which is indigestible…juice then can be frozen/ dried into chips, leathers etc. Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless.

May I suggest also eating pumpkin seeds and a lot of papaya. May God Bless all you
PWP ‘ers out there trying to find their own way on your journey as I am.

Aunt Bean

 

Fava Beans Tincture

Below are answers prepared by Aunt Bean to questions submitted by Janne about the
fava beans tincture.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Road to Recovery from Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons Recovery

Question #1: Can the fava beans be grown indoors — hydroponically or in pots?

*I have grown fava beans hydroponic and in soil on a
windowsill where it only got good sunlight about 4 hrs a day. They
looked pretty until about 8 inches tall and then became spindly
(almost like a vine) . If you have a window that gets good light or
have a sunroom I feel they would do much better. The hydroponic ones
I only grew to about 4 inches tall before washing well and chopping up
and drying for tincture. It has not been tested though for l-dopa
content.

The couple of plants in pots never did make a “top” or bud …just
got long and lanky .Ate leaves from them in salads finally.

Question #2: When researching where to buy beans, I noticed there are many
varieties. Does one seed/bean variety have more levodopa than another?

*There are approximately 40 varieties of favas I have been told. Broad
Windsors seem to be the cheapest and dependable for sprouting. I have
tried many varieties . Fond of the ones that are purple , but they are
more expensive. Hope to save more of my own seed next year…receive
much better germination that way. I don’t know that any variety has
more l-dopa , but one could …if studies have actually been done….
I like to know the findings.

Question #3: When searching for information (on your blog, forum posts
and radio interview) I noticed that on different occasions you mention having
used sprouted beans, bean tops and/or the whole plant for tincture. In
your final analysis, which seems to be the best part of the plant to
use?

*Plant Buds or tops that have been dried for a few hours seem to do
the best. What I call the Top is the little “bud” I am holding in between my
fingers in the picture on the fava blog site. They can be small (size
of a dime) or as big as a nickel…seems to depend on the fertility of
the soil. It takes quite a few dried to fill a small jar to make
tincture.

Question #4: Depending on your answer to No. 3 – at what point in the
plants growth do I harvest the top or whole plant?

*I found a bud yesterday on a plant that was sown July 26th. The seed
was soaked for 24 hrs before planting, so it was swollen and ready to
sprout when put into the ground. At approximately 6 weeks. start
checking for the bud growth to harvest. I pinch off the first 3 inches
of the plant, strip off the leaves and stem and save the bud for
drying. You can wear 2 clean water jugs on a belt (I cut out the
pouring spout and part way down the jug to leave a good opening, leave
the handle to put the belt thru. This is also my method for berry
picking!) Put the leaves in one jug and tops in the other. The dried
leaves ground up make wonderful additions to soup, vegie patties etc..
Taking the tops off encourages new bottom growth and discourages
aphids. Each new stem that comes up also gets a “bud” at the top. Some
can get up to 15 to harvest over the season. Watch carefully.. some
send up just a tiny 1 1/2 inch stem and make a bud almost at ground
level to harvest. They are easy to miss. I like growing them in a
raised bed.

Question #5: I know in 2013 your recipe calls for mashed up sprouts — but if
tops or whole plants is better, should they be dried or fresh to make
tincture? Does this matter?

*I don’t care for the sprout tincture as much as the top tincture.
After many experiments…I prefer to use the sprouted beans for
steaming and adding to foods/ making humus l-dopa is great…use your
imagination

Question #6: Can I use rum or vodka or some other alcohol to make tincture
or is brandy best?

*Brandy crosses the blood brain barrier and that is all I use

Fava Beans for Parkinson’s

The fava beans for Parkinson’s have not come up well at all that were planted the end of July and first part of August. I purchased a really poor bag of bulk seeds this year. I am going to go against my usual growing time and try to replant this Sunday. Hopefully we will get more plants that will give us at least one picking of tops before temps hit 26 degrees this year. One year they made it to the second week in December…that would be a blessing this year.

Tomatoes have gone crazy this summer…probably have gotten a bushel from each plant so far and they are still producing. Green beans have done exceptionally well also….but fava “tops” are the most important crop here and we need more to see us thru until the end of May when the spring crop starts it’s harvest time.

“Aunt Bean” feels very well and I hope to go to Rock Steady Boxing Camp next year in Indianapolis so that I am better equipped to help our support group with exercises that target PD symptoms. Our group responded well to adding exercise to our meeting time…a
very necessary thing for all of us.

Summer is coming to a close, but work is not. I received a heavy coverall for cold weather…it was my brother’s, which makes it even more special…hopefully I can take being outside in cold weather this year to create new raised beds for the coming year.

Bean Acres is open to people with PD who want to come learn natural ways to combat their symptoms. The farm has been such a blessing to me, and my prayer is that God will use it to touch many lives in a positive way who also have this horrible disease…

It is not incurable.

God Bless you all

Aunt Bean