Far be it from me to discourage eating fava beans, even if the effect
is only placebo, nothing wrong with that. If it feels (tastes) good,
do it!
But, I think people should know the odds:
(1) Favas contain dopamine, alright- but it's mainly in the hulls,
which are tough and nearly inedible.
(2) Even if you get some dopamine into your stomach, it mostly won't
cross the blood-brain barrier. That's why Sinemet contains
levodopa, which does cross the barrier, and changes to dopamine
after that.
(3) Even if favas contain levodopa instead of dopamine, it still
won't help much, because it quickly converts to dopamine
before reaching the blood-brain barrier. That's why Sinemet
also contains carbidopa, which inhibits the conversion and
saves levodopa for the brain.
(4) A very few people of southern mediterranean descent can have a
severe, even fatal, reaction to favas. So if you are that type,
check your family tree and see if any were susceptible.
After all that, why bother? Well, they might be good in a salad,
and your bod does need dopamine outside the brain, all through the
peripheral system in fact. That accounts for all the varied "minor"
PD symptoms, such as constipation, sweats, sensory anomalies,
incontinence, etc. So go ahead, but don't expect a miracle. Those
who have been on the list a while have been through this before.
Cheers, Joe
J. R. Bruman (818) 789-3694
3527 Cody Road
Sherman Oaks CA 91403
