Are Vicia Faba Based food supplements helping in Parkinson’s Disease management?

Do broad bean consumption and Vicia Faba based food supplements help in Parkinson’s disease? 

In our short article about the history of broad beans (Vicia Faba), we highlighted the discovery of its use for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Since Guggenheim in 1913, numerous clinical trials were carried out to prove the beneficial effect of Vicia Faba plants in managing Parkinson’s disease motor symptoms.
It is interesting to notice that there are a high number of different varieties that do not all have the same content of L-dopa. This makes it difficult for Parkinson’s disease sufferers to find the right balance, but eating regularly broad beans can be supportive.
There are only a few products on the market and it is important to pay attention to the fact that they should be normalised for their L-Dopa content.
The food supplements on the market, extracted from the structural components or the beans themselves, are rich in natural L-Dopa and there is more and more scientific evidences suggesting that they could be a good complement to chemical components for people with Parkinson’s disease. 

Vicia Faba in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease related motor functions

Here, we want to comment on the study by Kempster and collaborators from the Monash Medical Centre (1993), who investigated the possible role of broad bean consumption in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, Kempster and collaborators tested the possible effects of Vicia Faba on patients with Parkinson’s disease experiencing motor disorders. 
In order to see if there is any evidence of Vicia Faba to improve motor functions, the team conducted a small experiment, administering single doses of Vicia Faba mixture and carbidopa in six patients with moderate to severe motor dysfunctions due to their Parkinson’s disease. Their mean age of the patients was 52, and the mean duration of their disease was 16 years. Broad beans (Vicia faba) were purchased in season. Structural parts of the plant  were finally used, and cooked in a microwave oven for ten minutes. The cooked structural parts were then frozen and stored at -70°C until use. 

Encouraging results of Vicia Faba consumption with far better motor functions

In 83% of the cases, the authors observed an increase in dopamine and a significant improvement in the patient’s motor symptoms. The authors conclude that these structural parts of broad bean contain a sufficient quantity of L-dopa to be pharmacologically active in patients with Parkinson’s disease”. Based on these findings,  people with PD are encouraged to use Faba beans in their diet to improve motor functions in Parkinson’s disease.  The use of food supplements based on Vicia Faba can be an additional source of L-dopa of natural origin.  

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and we do NOT intend to do medical advice to treat or prevent diseases on this page. For any medical-related questions, please contact your health profesionnal.

Reference: PA. Kempster et al (1993). Motor effects of broad beans (Vicia faba) in Parkinson’s disease: single dose studies. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr. 2, 85-89.