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. John Cottingham "KNOWLEDGE is of two kinds: we know [log in to unmask] a subject, or we know where we can OR find information upon it." [log in to unmask] Dr. Samuel Johnson