The Kempster and Wahlqvist study(in the archives) documented that levodopa
responsive Parkinson's could receive the benefits of the natural L-dopa by
substituting a portion of fava beans in a meal for their regular tablet.
 
A benefit noted was that the functional effects of the fava meal extends for
up to 5 hours vs the 2 hours for the standard release carbidopa/levodopa.
 
Another natural occurring L-dopa bean is the Mucuna pruriens found in India.
that abstract follows the fava beans story.
 
 
          FAVA BEANS
 
          How can it be that fava beans, whose culture is so
          ancient that it has no known wild form, whose use is so
          widespread that it is considered common fare from China
          to England, Iran to Spain, Africa to South America, have
          not become part of American cuisine?  In China fava
          beans have been included in the diet for close tn 5,000
          years.  Romans consider favas their special province, as
          they have since ancient times (Fava, which means bean,
          is named after the Fabii, a noble Roman family).  In the
          south of France fava season is celebrated.  Old English
          cookbooks refer to the broad bean (its usual name in
          most English-speaking countries) as "the common bean."
          On the Iberian peninsula broad beans appear dried,
          fresh, and fried and salted -- as they do in China,
          where they are also sprouted.  In a good part of the
          Middle East fava beans are the meal or meals of the day.
          Although the venerable bean was introduced into this
          country in 1602 and hundreds of people from the areas
          mentioned above have since made their homes here, the
          fava has not.  Alice Waters grows it in her garden to
          make classy pasta dishes at her restaurants in Berkeley;
          Italian mothers and restaurateurs (not mutually
          exclusive, mind you) fill shopping bags with the
          dramatically large verdant pods when they pop in about
          April; curious cooks give them a whirl; but the unique
          vegetable remains a specialty item.  One reason may be
          that the time-consuming cleaning process is daunting for
          this nation in a hurry.  To properly enjoy the fava, you
          must pick the tough skin off each bean, a distinctly
          labor-intensive job - though perfect for casual company
          chatting.  The skinning yields beans of springtime-green
          (and occasionally reddish, brown, purplish hues) that
          resemble baby Limas, pack plenty of subtle flavor, and
          are surprisingly melting in texture, not starchy.  It
          also produces plenty of refuse (although tender pods can
          be eaten).  The lack of enthusiasm for the fava may also
          be due to the fact that Americans have never developed a
          taste for bitterness.  Here, bitter is bad, sweet is
          good.  In many cuisines the two are considered equally
          desirable, not negative and positive.  And favas often
          do have a bitter aftertaste, as fresh as grass.
 
          SELECTION AND STORAGE: Fava beans are harbingers of
          spring, although they continue to appear into the
          summer.  Look for the smallest, crispest, most evenly
          green pods, with some discoloration to be expected.
          Because there is considerable waste when you shell and
          skin favas, buy a good deal more than you would of other
          beans.  While it is generally recommended that you avoid
          the large, heavy pods (they may measure a foot or so)
          with slightly yellowing beans, 1 find them delicious,
          with a pronounced and appealing cheesy Flavor that is
          different from the young beans, but worthwhile.  You can
          store the beans for a few days in the refrigerator,
          spread in a wide dish, but don't plan to keep the
          perishable vegetable longer than that.  Once shelled,
          blanched, and skinned (see Preparation), the beans can
          be frozen in small plastic containers for longer
          storage.  USE: Most recipes that you'll see for fava
          beans apply to the large dried ones, which have little
          in common with the fresh other than being delicious.
          The following concerns the in-pod beans only.  If you
          have favas from a garden at your disposal, pick tiny
          beans (2-3 inches) and eat them whole, as they do in
          Europe, for an hors d'oeuvre.  Or shell baby beans and
          eat them raw, with coarse salt, pepper, dry ham, crumbly
          cheese, and plenty of vino.  I have never found such
          delicate specimens in the United States, but I have been
          told they exist.  Fresh fava beans are a luxury to be
          savored alone or with a few choice ingredients.  Do not
          hide them or overcook them.  Gently stew fresh beans in
          a little butter, oil, or cream, Lightly touched with
          savory, thyme, or sage.  Sauteed seafood, veal, and
          lightly smoked meats are elegantly embellished by the
          addition of favas during the last minutes of cooking.
          Or heat the beans briefly with the skimmed pan juices of
          roasted veal, chicken, or pork, then spoon over the
          meat.  Accent fresh pasta or rice with favas and wild
          mushrooms.  Cook large, heavy beans longer; then crush
          to make a puree, adding cream.  butter, and a little
          lemon juice.  Cook pods alone trimmed of strings or with
          beans inside, for a sticky, messy, and savory dish.  Or
          add trimmed pods to soups and vegetable stews.
 
          PREPARATION- The way you prepare the beans will depend
          on their age and how you will cook them.  Unless you are
          planning to stew the whole pod, I find it is necessary
          to remove the skin from the beans, no matter how young.
          Many authorities consider peeling to be unnecessary, but
          I have yet to find favas that do not benefit from the
          removal of the bitter layer.  See for yourself.  To
          shell favas cut the tips from the pods, then press open
          the seams.  Pull out the beans from the cushioned plush
          sleeping bag, where they are so neatly nestled, removing
          the little stems if necessary.  Drop the beans into
          salted, boiling water.  Boil 30 seconds (more than a
          minute and they mush when you try to skin them).  Drain
          and drop in ice water.  When they are cooled, slit each
          skin with your nail and pop out the bean, working
          carefully so they don't break.  If you are going to cook
          the pods (for this they must be quite small and tender;
          sample before cooking), with or without the beans
          inside, you'll want to pull off the strings on both
          sides.  If resistant, zip them off with a vegetable
          peeler.
 
          NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: Fava beans are low in
          calories-about 80 per cup, cooked.  They are relatively
          high in protein, iron, and fiber, are good sources of
          vitamins C and A and potassium, and contain modest
          amounts of the B vitamins.  Note: Favism, an extremely
          rare inherited enzymatic deficiency that occurs in some
          Greeks, Italians, and what I have seen referred to
          collectively as Semitics, Mediterranean Jews, and Jewish
          Kurds, causes severe hemolytic anemia.  This potentially
          lethal allergy can be caused by eating fava beans or
          inhaling the pollen from the flowers.
 
<1>
Authors
  Rajyalakshmi P.  Geervani P.
Institution
  Department of Foods and Nutrition, Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University,
  Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India.
Title
  Nutritive value of the foods cultivated and consumed by the tribals of
  south India.
Source
  Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.  46(1):53-61, 1994 Jul.
Abstract
  Twenty five foods cultivated and consumed by the tribals of Andhra
  Pradesh, India, comprising cereals/millets, legumes, tubers and
  miscellaneous foods collected seasonally from 20 tribal villages were
  analysed for proximate composition, vitamins and minerals. The major
  findings of the study were as follows: Protein content of cereals/millets
  ranged from 6.8 to 11.8 g per 100 g and that of legumes from 20 to 23.8 g
  per 100 g. The uncommon legume, judumulu (Vigna sp.) grown by the tribals
  had the protein content of 22 g per 100 g. A wild legume, Mucuna pruriens,
  had the highest protein content of 27.9 g per 100 g. Mineral contents of
  the foods showed greater variations. Two varieties of ragi and horsegram
  grown in the area had an iron contents of 38 mgs per 100 g. Among the wild
  tubers analysed, Diascorea hispida and D. bulbifera had about 134 Kcal per
  100 g. In vitro starch digestibility (IVSD) analysed in the raw tubers
  ranged from 8.7 to 11.5 percent and caryota palm pith had IVSD 5.9
  percent. Among the miscellaneous foods analysed, rajkeera seed (Amaranthus
  paniculatus) had protein content of 22 g per 100 g. Amylase inhibitor
  units of the wild tubers varied from 80 to 400 A/U and that of caryota
  palm pith was 712 A/U.
 
<2>
Authors
  Pras N.  Woerdenbag HJ.  Batterman S.  Visser JF.  Van Uden W.
Institution
  Department of Pharmacognosy, University Centre for Pharmacy, Groningen
  University, The Netherlands.
Title
  Mucuna pruriens: improvement of the biotechnological production of the
  anti-Parkinson drug L-dopa by plant cell selection.
Source
  Pharmacy World & Science.  15(6):263-8, 1993 Dec 17.
Abstract
  Routinely grown cell suspension cultures of Mucuna pruriens L. (Fabaceae)
  were able to endogenously accumulate the anti-Parkinson drug
  L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) in the range between 0.2 and 2% on a dry
  weight (DW) basis. The green colour that developed in light-exposed
  cultures, appeared to be a suitable marker to select cells with an
  increased L-dopa biosynthesis and/or phenoloxidase activity. For this
  purpose, saccharose concentrations from 0 to 4% (w/v), and light
  intensities of 1,000 and 2,000 lux, were involved in the selection
  procedure. After 6 months, photomixotrophic callus cultures with a rapid
  growth and a high L-dopa content of 0.9% (DW) were obtained on 2%
  saccharose and under 1,000 lux. The cell suspensions, derived from these
  calli, accumulated up to 6% (DW) L-dopa, which was the highest stable
  content ever measured in cultures of M. pruriens. An L-dopa yield of
  approximately 1.2 g/l was calculated after 6 days of growth. In contrast,
  compared wtih the standard-grown parent cell line, the phenoloxidase
  activity, and consequently the bioconversion capacity as measured after
  entrapment in calcium alginate, of these high-producing cultures was
  approximately threefold lower.
 
 
 
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