Are broad beans good to control symptoms in Parkinson’s?

Broad beans to control symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?

In our short articles about the use of fava beans (Vicia Faba) for the treatment and prevention of Parkinson’s disease, we presented the results done by Guggenheim in 1913, and its effects on motor symptoms by Kempster et al in 1993. In this short article series, we want to present further studies that show that broad beans are not only good to eat, but their rich nutraceutical ingredients may help people control the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. 

Faba beans for better Parkinson’s disease management?

Rabey and collaborators from the Tel Aviv Medical Centre in Israel were interested in testing the benefits of consuming cooked fava beans (Vicia Faba) for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. In a small clinical trial, 11 people (6 with Parkinson’s disease and 5 healthy volunteers) ate 250 grams of cooked fava beans after 12 hours without medication. The results were very promising. The authors found that eating fava beans increased L-Dopa levels, a key precursor of dopamine, which directly or indirectly improved motor performance. Indeed, dopamine is a neurotransmitter whose primary function is to coordinate the signals from the brain to the muscles. It is widely recognised that the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain is one of the main causes of Parkinson’s disease.

Vicia Faba have excellent nutritional values

From a nutritional point of view, beans are excellent food sources. Vicia Faba contains a large range of minerals, vitamins and other beneficial oligo-elements.  In accordance with the results of other studies, these results highlight the importance of adding fava beans into the regular diet of patients with Parkinson’s disease to manage Parkinson symptoms, especially in patients with mild symptoms. Nonetheless, further studies with a higher number of patients are still necessary to understand the full potential of Vicia Faba as a source of natural L-Dopa for the use of Parkinson symptoms. For those having difficulties eating broad beans every day, food supplements based on Vicia Faba could be complementary.

Important information and disclaimer: This article is for general information only.

It is not used to treat and cure diseases. If you have any health problems or illnesses, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.

Reference: JA. Rabey et al. (1993). Low-dose Clozapine in the Treatment of Levodopa-Induced Mental Disturbances in Parkinson’s Disease. Advances in Neurology, 45: 432.