On 7-Jan-07, at 2:17 AM, M.Schild wrote:
>> I suspect that Zandopa might contain
>> other beneficial ingredients besides mucuna.
>
>
> Zandopa is often called H-200 and comes in gelule form.  Easier to  
> use. If i
> remeber correctly, mucuna doesn´t need carbidopa but in the long  
> term, side
> effetcs are the same as synthetic ldopa ( sinemet).
> John used it some years ago and found it helped with constipation
> Maryse cg JOhn 77,17



        In my research on "mucuna" I haven't found it anywhere, that taking  
mucuna in the long term will have the same side effects as synthetic  
(sinemet).
All I could find says otherwise.

Here's a couple of examples:

Example#1)   http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/crisp/CRISP_LIB.getdoc? 
textkey=6870829&p_grant_num=1R21AT001607-01A1&p_query=&ticket=19936581&p 
_audit_session_id=88437379&p_keywords=
        Aurveda is an indegenious medical practice of India. Recent  
investigations indicate the Aurvedic medicinal compound Mucuna  
pruriens is effective in improving Parkinsonism. Patients with  
Parkinson's disease (PD) develop severe and often disabling side  
effects after 3-5 years of medical therapy with currently available  
medications used in modern medicine. Review of Aurvedic scriptures  
and consultation with practitioners of Aurveda indicate that PD  
patients treated with Aurvedic medications containing Mucuna pruriens  
do not develop disabling side effects........

Example#2)
http://www.vedicspa.com/kaunch.html
Research Update
In a a randomised, controlled, double blind crossover trial published  
on Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, the clinical  
effects of levodopa L-dopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) are compared with two  
different doses of mucuna preparation. Eight Parkinson's disease  
patients were given with single doses of 200/50 mg LD/CD, or 15 and  
30 g of mucuna preparation in randomised order. Compared with  
standard LD/CD, the 30 g mucuna preparation led to a considerably  
faster onset of effect (34.6 v 68.5 min; p = 0.021), Mean on time was  
21.9% (37 min) longer, peak L-dopa plasma concentrations were 110%  
higher and the area under the plasma concentration v time curve (area  
under curve) was 165.3% larger (p = 0.012). The rapid onset of action  
and longer on time without concomitant increase in dyskinesias on  
mucuna seed powder formulation suggest that this natural source of L- 
dopa might possess advantages over conventional L-dopa preparations  
in the long term management of PD.
Despite the fact Mucuna was used in the treatment of Parkinson’s  
disease in ancient times, it is still important today to establish  
that the drug dose not have adverse effects on various vital organs.  
This was accomplished by administering low to very high doses of the  
drug in rats and rabbits and testing the effect of Mucuna on blood  
chemistry and blood count (such as the one that many physicians  
perform in their offices and the hospitals) and various organs. Some  
of the tests were done for as long as one year and the results  
indicated no adverse effects were present from Mucuna preparations.

To establish how Mucuna would compare to synthetic L-DOPA,  
experiments were undertaken in animal models of Parkinson’s disease.  
Two different doses of synthetic L-DOPA and two different doses of  
Mucuna were administered making sure that the amount of L-DOPA  
present is the same in Mucuna as was the doses of synthetic L-DOPA.  
The effects of the drugs were tested using a specially designed  
instrument called "Rotometer." Dose for dose, Mucuna was two to three  
times more effective than equivalent amounts of synthetic L-DOPA.  
This suggests that Mucuna may contain compounds that make L-DOPA  
function better such as carbidopa, tolcapone (Tasmar), or entacapone  
(COMTan). It may also suggest that Mucuna independently improve  
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Although quite encouraging, more  
research is needed to confirm these findings. This work was done at  
the time when the United States Congress established the Office of  
Alternative Medicine in the National Institute of Health and the work  
was one of the first to receive funding for alternative medicine.

Additional studies in India were undertaken to establish the benefit  
of HP200 in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Four medical centers  
were selected involving sixty patients and several neurologists. The  
studies were conducted for three months. During that time, the  
patients received HP200 while no concomitant L-DOPA preparations were  
administered. Trained neurologists monitored changes in the degree of  
patent’s symptoms and any side effects. At the end of the study, it  
was determined that the HP200 was highly beneficial in the treatment  
of Parkinson’s disease. The side effects were minimal. HP200 was  
approved by the Indian Food and Drug Administration and is available  
in India under the brand name Zandopa. Further, the cost of the drug  
was much cheaper compared to the synthetic drugs; thus it became more  
affordable to the patients. The United States Food and Drug  
Administration approve the drug for clinical studies, however, it is  
not available from the pharmacist.
Work on the Mucuna for Parkinson’s disease is being continued. The  
importance of this particular study is not that Mucuna is an  
alternative to L-DOPA, rather it is that compounds occurring  
naturally in plants for example, may contain biologically active  
components that can be isolated, tested, and used to provide safer  
and better treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

Example #3)
http://www.parkinson.org/site/pp.asp?c=9dJFJLPwB&b=184301
        .......Despite the fact Mucuna was used in the treatment of  
Parkinson’s disease in ancient times, it is still important today to  
establish that the drug dose not have adverse effects on various  
vital organs. This was accomplished by administering low to very high  
doses of the drug in rats and rabbits and testing the effect of  
Mucuna on blood chemistry and blood count (such as the one that many  
physicians perform in their offices and the hospitals) and various  
organs. Some of the tests were done for as long as one year and the  
results indicated no adverse effects were present from Mucuna  
preparations.
To establish how Mucuna would compare to synthetic L-DOPA,  
experiments were undertaken in animal models of Parkinson’s disease.  
Two different doses of synthetic L-DOPA and two different doses of  
Mucuna were administered making sure that the amount of L-DOPA  
present is the same in Mucuna as was the doses of synthetic L-DOPA.  
The effects of the drugs were tested using a specially designed  
instrument called "Rotometer." Dose for dose, Mucuna was two to three  
times more effective than equivalent amounts of synthetic L-DOPA.  
This suggests that Mucuna may contain compounds that make L-DOPA  
function better such as carbidopa, tolcapone (Tasmar), or entacapone  
(COMTan). It may also suggest that Mucuna independently improve  
symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Although quite encouraging, more  
research is needed to confirm these findings. This work was done at  
the time when the United States Congress established the Office of  
Alternative Medicine in the National Institute of Health and the work  
was one of the first to receive funding for alternative medicine......

Example #4)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? 
cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15548480&query_hl=2

..........No significant differences in dyskinesias or tolerability  
occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid onset of action and longer on time  
without concomitant increase in dyskinesias on mucuna seed powder  
formulation suggest that this natural source of L-dopa might possess  
advantages over conventional L-dopa preparations in the long term  
management of PD.......



Example #5) Rat study (I don't approve of animal studies, but this  
one is interesting)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? 
cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15478206&query_hl=2

.......Mucuna pruriens cotyledon powder significantly increased the  
brain mitochondrial complex-I activity but did not affect the total  
monoamine oxidase activity (in vitro). Unlike synthetic levodopa  
treatment, Mucuna pruriens cotyledon powder treatment significantly  
restored the endogenous levodopa, dopamine, norepinephrine and  
serotonin content in the substantia nigra. Nicotine adenine  
dinucleotide (NADH) and coenzyme Q-10, that are shown to have a  
therapeutic benefit in Parkinson's disease, were present in the  
Mucuna pruriens cotyledon powder. Earlier studies showed that Mucuna  
pruriens treatment controls the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This  
additional finding of a neurorestorative benefit by Mucuna pruriens  
cotyledon powder on the degenerating dopaminergic neurons in the  
substantia nigra may be due to increased complex-I activity and the  
presence of NADH and coenzyme Q-10.........



I hope this info is helpful for anyone considering taking "Mucuna". I  
haven't been taking it for long, less than two months, but I find it  
very beneficial.

In regards to my taking Mucuna (Zandopa from India) 3 times a day  
with sinemet.
In my last e-mail, I said that I was taking one level tbsp of Zandopa  
with my sinemet. I made a mistake, sorry, I checked my measuring  
spoon and it actually says: 1/2 tbsp or 7.5ml.
I take this amount with 1/3 (sinemet 200/50 CR) three times per day.  
I would rather use plain sinemet but I don't have any right now. My  
last prescription was for Sinemet CR. When I run out , I'll ask my  
doctor for a new prescription of 100/25 sinemet. I'm still trying to  
gradually reducing my sinemet and replacing it with Zandopa. I'm  
hoping that I can stop taking sinemet all together. So far, I reduced  
my intake of 4 sinemet 200/50 CR per day to only 1 sinemet 200/50 CR  
per day with excellent results. I suspect that Zandopa might contain  
other beneficial ingredients besides mucuna. I haven't been able to  
find this out jet. For anyone just taking mucuna, the carbidopa  
contained in sinemet, will actually help the mucuna cross the brain  
barrier. I have no proof of this, just my own experiences. Ken Allan,  
who grows his own mucuna, suspects the same thing. You can check out  
his website at: http://home.cogeco.ca/~allan/   He has lots of great  
information on PD & mucuna.  He's not taking Zandopa, but grows his  
own, pretty remarkable. I found that raw mucuna (powder or capsules)  
made me anxious. My source for mucuna was:  http://www.satveda.com/ 
product.asp?pID=160&cID=5&c=6045   Zandopa works much better for me,  
lasts longer, don't get anxious, or any side effects. My source for  
Zandopa is:    http://mall.coimbatore.com/bnh/zandu/zandopa.htm

Sincerely, Max




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