Origin A patient asks: I heard that fava beans can cure Parkinson’s disease, is this true? Seek explanation. Patient statement Searched the following on the Internet, indeed, there are netizens experience exchange, as follows: “Fava bean clip can indeed alleviate Parkinson’s condition, the effect is obvious. My old partner Parkinson’s more than ten years, the end of 2012 aggravation of the condition, eat the doctor prescribed medication effect is not obvious, there is the phenomenon of closure, walking inconvenience, sometimes walking to be assisted, there are netizens introduced broad bean clip can alleviate the condition. April 5, 2013, I used the broad bean clip boiled water to try and found that the effect is obvious, insisted on taking less than a month, the condition is significantly better, able to take a walk and self-care. Closure (author’s note: may be a switch) phenomenon is basically lifted. Specific approach is: fresh broad bean clip to remove impurities and decayed parts, washed and water together, filled, put into the pot to boil, simmer to half of the water evaporation, remove the broad bean residue, and then continue to concentrate the water to one-half, cooled into large plastic bottles, put into the freezer in the freezer storage (broad bean clip is not easy to store and seasonal, shall be boiled into the water into the freezer. (In order to ensure a year’s supply, I bought two freezers for storage). I have been insisting on taking broad bean folder water for nearly a year, four times a day, each time about 60 ML, along with other drugs prescribed by the doctor to take, the effect is more satisfactory: the hands and feet basically do not shake, move more freely. The above is my personal experience, only for the reference of all patients.” Doctors’ statements From the followup replies, it does appear that some patients have had similar experiences with the medication. However, the results of the doctors’ responses were decidedly less optimistic. “Although some patients with Parkinson’s disease do feel healing after consuming fava beans or fava bean pods boiled in water, others do not feel the healing effect, and it even leads to some of the following problems: 1. Inability to control the levodopa dosage. Because the content of levodopa in fava beans and their stems, leaves and pods appendages has great differences and variations, too large a dose may appear nausea, poisoning and other risks, and insufficient dose can not achieve the therapeutic effect, and a small number of people may be allergic to raw fava beans. 2, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (such as amitriptyline, doxepin, disopyramide, and other antidepressants, as well as silagiline, reserpagiline and other Parkinson’s drugs) may cause discomfort. Because taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors, intake of food rich in dopamine, tyramine, amphetamine, there is a risk of sudden rise in blood pressure. 3, sericosis patients are prohibited. Fava bean disease is a rare genetic disease, the patient’s body lacks glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, when the patient takes fava beans, will lead to hemolytic anemia, and even kidney failure. The disease occurs in children, adults may also occur, including Parkinson’s patients. 4, drug therapy has pharmacological research and clinical research basis, diet can not replace drug therapy, and even affect or interfere with drug therapy. Therefore, on the question of the efficacy of eating fava beans or fava bean pods boiled in water to treat Parkinson’s disease, pending more scientific research and clinical observation, to eat with caution.” Doubtful folk practices have a lot of unknowns, such as the selection of ingredients is broad beans or pods, with mature or immature; preparation of the proportion of water and broad bean pods, high-flame boiling or low-flame cooking, a kilogram of broad beans to add how much water, cooked into how much water is the right concentration; preservation methods are refrigerated or frozen, with plastic bottles or glass bottles, preserved for a year will not deteriorate? Is it cost-effective to buy a freezer with the money spent on medicine? Boiled and stored for a year’s worth of broad bean pod water is about 87 kilograms, hundreds of bottles ah …… The online doctor’s response pointed out the risk of allergies, broad bean disease, but overall the proposition that “broad beans are effective against Parkinson’s disease” does not hold a clear objection. The word “caution” leaves a lot of room for fantasy. Literature search The information on the Internet states that, in general, immature pods and unripe fava beans contain the highest amount of levodopa, with about 84 grams of fresh fava beans containing about 50 to 100 mg of levodopa, while ripe or dried fava beans contain the least amount of levodopa. Unfortunately, no source can be found for this widely held claim. I am afraid that we need more professional research results to help us objectively analyze the biological characteristics of this crop. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Crop Genetic Breeding Cao Yiyuan master’s thesis in 2010, “the study of levodopa content of broad beans,” the key excerpts are as follows: “This study establishes the HPLC method to analyze and detect the detection of levodopa content of broad beans in the detection system. The content of levodopa in 197 varieties of broad bean flowers, 52 varieties of broad bean green seeds, and 32 varieties of broad bean seedlings were analyzed and detected. The results showed that the content of levodopa in different parts of fava beans was in the following order: fava bean seedling > fava bean root > fava bean seed grain; and the content in different periods was in the following order: bud stage > flowering stage. The fava beans that people usually choose are fava bean seeds, and the levodopa content varied greatly (8.79-95.12mg/100g), with an average of 37.11mg/100g.” The study of Zheng Kaibin et al. “Study on the levodopa content in different parts of fava beans,” published by Fujian Agricultural Journal, No.4, 2012 “showed that the order of high and low levodopa content was: flower>leaf blade>pod shell>stem>seed coat>cotyledon.” In other words, the content of levodopa in the cotyledons (commonly known as pods) is lower than that in the pod shells, and the content of levodopa in fava beans or pods varies greatly between different geographic regions and varieties. To take medicine or to eat fava beans? Since fava beans and pods do contain levodopa, the active ingredient in Parkinson’s disease treatment medications, is it better to take the medication or the fava beans? Let’s take the classic drug for levodopa, Medrol? as the standard for dose conversion (each dopamine tablet (Medopa?) contains 200m of levodopa). ), we will make the following comparisons: Content: According to the results of the above study, even the highest content of fava bean varieties, the amount of levodopa contained in every 100g (2 taels) is not enough to cover the amount of levodopa in half of a Dobasic hydrazide tablet (Medopa?). The average value of two taels of levodopa per 100g (2 tael) would be less than half a tablet of dopas hydrazine (Medoba?). Extrapolating from the average, two taels of immature green fava beans would contain less than a quarter of a Medobar tablet of levodopa. Based on a typical equivalent dose of 300 mg of levodopa that might be used by a person with early Parkinson’s disease (about one and a half Medobar? tablets), for example, this translates to a dose of 300 mg of levodopa in a fava bean. As an example, this would translate to a daily use of 300-600g of fava beans! In later stages, the patient’s needs increase, often requiring 3 or more tablets of Medobar? In the later stages, patients need to increase the amount, often need to take 3 tablets or even more Medopa? Efficacy: The efficacy of fava beans has not been standardized drug clinical trials to verify. Dobasic hydrazide tablets are compounded with 200 mg of levodopa and 50 mg of benserazide (a peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor, DDI), which results in less levodopa being broken down in the peripheral blood and more entering the brain. In the case of fava beans or pods that do not contain DDI, while the ingredients are certainly natural, the absence of DDI also makes the active ingredients and actual effects much less effective, and tends to increase peripheral adverse effects such as changes in blood pressure and gastrointestinal reactions. Safety: The patient’s experience is mostly home cooking, from the technical level it is decided that it is not possible to fully extract all the active ingredients in fava beans or fava bean pods, and the degree of purification also directly affects the safety of homemade products. In addition, the varying amounts of levodopa contained in the various varieties of fava beans can easily cause fluctuations in symptoms and increase the risk of adverse reactions. Complexity of treatment: The pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease is complex and involves changes in a variety of neurotransmitters in the brain such as dopamine, acetylcholine and monoamines. As the condition changes, not only do you need to take dopamine tablets, but you may need to add other medications or adjust the dosage of combined medications. Can this be solved by more than just drinking a few bottles of pod water? In terms of drug cost-effectiveness, at 40 tablets per box, an average of$80 per box, and a daily dose of 2 tablets of Medobar? Measured, the annual cost of medication for treatment is about$1,460. 2 tablets of Medobar? The levodopa contained in it requires about 1-2 pounds of fava bean pods to extract. The cost of purchasing the raw material, cooking it, and storing it over the course of a year is not estimated to be less than$1,460, is it? The claim that “fava beans can cure Parkinson’s disease” is unscientific After the above comparison with medications, it is already clear that fava beans or fava bean pods are inferior to medications in terms of content, efficacy, and safety. If someone must emphasize the personal experience of using the drug, we might as well look at the description of the original article again carefully — “I have been insisting on taking fava beans in water for nearly a year, four times a day, about 60 ML each time, along with other medications prescribed by the doctor, the effect is more ideal …… “. Oh, it turns out that these carefully boiled water is at best the last mouthful of buns to make a person full! If water boiled in fava bean pods can replace medications, why not drink the water alone and combine it with medications? Which medications are combined? When the symptoms fluctuate is to adjust the medicine or adjust the broad bean pod water? In fact, there are a lot of professional questions, I believe that will make the experience of sharing the patient a moment of fear: how long is the action time of broad bean pod water? How many hours is the half-life in the body? If you need to drink it four times a day, it means that the effect lasts for a very short time. We emphasize the theory of continuous stimulation in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, hoping that the smoother the effect of the drug, the better, then this artificial intervention is not a mistake! From the physicochemical properties of levodopa, it is slightly soluble in water, easily soluble in 1 mol/L hydrochloric acid, and needs to be stored away from light. In a humid environment, the crystalline powder of levodopa is easily oxidized by the air and turns black. So, the antacid and antioxidant ability of this kind of “family pack” levodopa is unreliable, how can we take the water of broad bean pods that have been stored in the freezer for one year? Therefore, patients should not believe the rumors. If your symptoms are stable now, consuming fava bean pod water may cause new fluctuations in symptoms; if your symptoms worsen, the use of fava bean pod water may worsen your symptoms. Adjusting medications for Parkinson’s disease is a delicate task, with doctors carefully selecting medications and balancing side effects to maximize symptom improvement with the smallest dose for the greatest benefit to the patient. Your blind adherence and unauthorized use of something that interferes with your treatment may leave your doctor at a loss, and it is the patient who ultimately pays the price. History of the drug 1) Levodopa is a milestone in the history of Parkinson’s disease treatment, and is still considered the “gold standard” for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease and is widely used in clinical practice today. Back in 1913, Torquati extracted a nitrogen-containing substance from a plant, and a young chemist at Roche, M. Guggenheim, continued his predecessor’s work by extracting and synthesizing levodopa. The plant has a catchy name: Windsor bean (Vicia faba), which translates to broad bean in Chinese. However, no effect was initially found for levodopa, and the inventor himself soon became visibly ill and vomited after taking 2.5 g of levodopa. During his 30 years in office, he had been researching the pharmacological effects of levodopa, but no answers were forthcoming. In 1958, scientists discovered the relationship between basal ganglia dopamine and reserpine-induced Parkinson’s disease, opening the dopamine transmitter theory of Parkinson’s disease.In 1961, 20 Parkinson’s disease patients participated in a levodopa drug trial. It was found that a significant reduction of hyperactivity symptoms could be seen a few minutes after the intravenous injection of 50-150 mg of levodopa, and the effect could be maintained for several hours. 1967, Cotzias et al. reported that dyskinesia could be dramatically improved by oral administration of levodopa, thus announcing the arrival of the era of levodopa. The fledgling levodopa was not perfect, with peripheral side effects such as altered blood pressure and gastrointestinal reactions. (2) Dobasic hydrazide tablets are compounded with the peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (DDI) benserazide, which leads to a decrease in the breakdown of levodopa in the peripheral blood and an increase in its entry into the brain; at the same time, benserazide leads to a lower dosage of levodopa, which reduces the peripheral adverse effects by blocking the production of peripheral dopamine. Researchers tried combining levodopa and benserazide in a therapeutic trial for Parkinson’s disease in 1966 and found it to be more effective than levodopa alone. Once the optimal ratio of the two was determined, Medopa? was officially launched in Switzerland in 1973, and in 1974, Roche was awarded the European “Prix Galien” in recognition of their efforts to eliminate the serious side effects of the previous formulation. Analysis and conclusion: fava bean water for Parkinson’s disease is not a bad idea! At this point, we should already know that levodopa, which is the most important drug in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, is not used alone in clinical use, and requires the assistance of DDI to minimize side effects. Otherwise, Roche would not have won the Prix Galien. If the water boiled with uneven composition and content of fava beans or fava bean pods contains strong affection and love, but the medicinal value and stability is far less than the pharmaceutical company after purification, formulation, process and other scientific efforts to produce a finished drug. Not only that, the safety can not be guaranteed, more likely to cause artificial fluctuations in blood concentration, resulting in fluctuations in the patient’s symptoms. It is really harmful but not beneficial, not only not recommended, but also should vigorously resist this pseudo-scientific point of view. Advice to patients, or to take the regular drugs recommended by the doctor.