Does Mucuna Pruriens Raise Blood Pressure?
Written by Ben Bunting: BA, PGCert. (Sport & Exercise Nutrition) // British Army Physical Training Instructor // S&C Coach.
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Mucuna pruriens, also known as the velvet bean, is a tropical legume that grows throughout the world. It is commonly used as a dietary supplement.
It has a variety of health benefits, including the ability to reduce stress and help regulate hormones.
Its seeds are packed with the amino acid L-dopa, which the body converts into dopamine. This is a powerful neurotransmitter that promotes healthy brain function and can treat nervous disorders.
What is Hypertension?
Hypertension is a medical condition that increases the risk of serious health problems, such as heart attack and stroke. It’s more common among adults and is a major cause of premature death worldwide.
High blood pressure is when the blood pushes against the walls of the arteries at an elevated rate. This causes the arteries to narrow or become stiff, which reduces blood flow and puts extra pressure on the heart.
There are many things that can contribute to a person developing high blood pressure, such as age, obesity, diabetes and alcohol consumption. Lifestyle choices, such as eating a diet rich in saturated fats and not getting enough exercise, also increase the risk for hypertension.
Symptoms of hypertension may include shortness of breath, fatigue or a feeling that your heart is beating too fast. If you experience these symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor right away.
Diagnosis and treatment of hypertension involve a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. Your doctor will try different combinations of antihypertensive medications to find the one that works best for you and your body. If your blood pressure isn’t brought down by these medications, they may add a new medication or switch to a different type of medicine.
If blood pressure continues to rise even after taking medications and changing your lifestyle, you may have what’s called resistant hypertension. Resistant hypertension is very dangerous, because it can lead to heart attack and kidney failure if left untreated.
A doctor can make the diagnosis of hypertension if you have three or more blood pressure readings taken over at least three months that are above the normal range (140/90 or above). This is called sustained hypertension.
Your doctor will check your blood pressure by measuring the systolic and diastolic pressures at the same time during a routine visit. This helps your doctor determine whether you have sustained hypertension or if you have other issues that need to be addressed.
It’s common for people with hypertension to experience symptoms that aren’t related to the pressure, such as tiredness and headaches. These symptoms may disappear as your doctor treats the problem and brings your blood pressure back down to a normal level.
The best way to prevent hypertension is by leading a healthy lifestyle. This includes avoiding smoking, eating a well-balanced diet, and getting regular exercise.
In addition, reducing salt intake, alcohol consumption and limiting caffeine can help keep your blood pressure in the normal range. Reducing your stress levels can also help lower blood pressure.
You should always tell your doctor about any change in your weight or your family history of high blood pressure. They may want to do a physical exam and perform additional tests to confirm the diagnosis.
The goal of hypertension treatment is to lower your systolic and diastolic blood pressure below the recommended target range of 130/80. This is an ideal number, but it can vary from person to person.
Why is Hypertension Bad?
The reason why hypertension is bad is that it can increase your risk of developing heart disease (including heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure), peripheral vascular disease, eye problems, and pregnancy complications. In addition, it can damage your blood vessels and make it harder for your heart to pump.
Symptoms of hypertension usually don't occur until the pressure is high enough to cause health problems. However, some people do experience symptoms such as headaches or nosebleeds.
Medications for hypertension are designed to lower your blood pressure and keep it under control. Your doctor can help you choose the right drug and dosage for you.
There are many different types of medications for hypertension, based on how they work. For example, beta-blockers reduce the amount of blood pumped through your blood vessels with each beat. They also block certain hormones in your body that can raise your blood pressure.
They can be taken alone or with other drugs to lower your blood pressure. Diuretics, or "water pills," help your kidneys remove fluid and salt from your bloodstream.
Some people develop resistant hypertension, which means they need four or more medications to control their blood pressure. Resistant hypertension is bad because it increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
L-Dopa
L-Dopa is an amino acid that is a precursor of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in reward and feedback, motor skills, and arousal. It's used to treat Parkinson's disease and other nervous system disorders.
It can also improve memory and boost libido. It's metabolized in your body by an enzyme called aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC). This increases the amount of dopamine produced in the brain.
The natural form of L-Dopa is generally well-tolerated by most people. Synthetic forms of the amino acid can cause serious side effects. It's important to find a product that contains natural L-Dopa.
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical bean that is rich in L-Dopa. It's a versatile adaptogen that can lower stress, reduce anxiety, improve focus, and boost libido.
In addition, it is rich in other compounds that support your brain health and protect your neurons from free radical damage.
Moreover, it helps your brain make naturally occurring neuronal pigments known as neuromelanins. These are similar to the melanin found in your skin, and they help shield your brain from damage caused by inflammation.
These benefits are why this plant has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. In fact, it is considered one of the most important herbs in Ayurveda and it has a wide range of uses, including treating sexual and neurological conditions.
In addition to lowering stress and improving mood, it is believed that mucuna pruriens can also increase fertility by acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. It has been shown to improve the amount of ejaculate and the percentage of spermatozoa motility in normospermic, oligospermic, and asthernospermia subjects.
D-Chiro-Inositol
Mucuna pruriens contains D-chiro-inositol, which has been shown to lower triglyceride levels and blood pressure in people with polycystic ovary syndrome. It has also been shown to help in treating certain mental health disorders such as panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
It also helps protect your brain from free radicals that can cause inflammation and damage your cells. These free radicals can affect memory, learning, recall, cognition and mood.
The antioxidant activity of mucuna pruriens is important for preventing this damage from happening in the first place. This is why mucuna pruriens can help keep your brain healthy and functioning well.
This is because the antioxidant properties of mucuna pruriens can protect your brain from free radicals that can destroy your cells and make you feel depressed and anxious.
Another way mucuna pruriens helps your brain is by helping to remove toxic/reactive quinones from the body that would otherwise damage your brain. It also increases the amount of superoxide dismutase and catalase in your body to help combat these toxic toxins.
Lastly, mucuna pruriens can also boost your energy and improve your mood by increasing dopamine levels in your brain. This can help you focus on tasks and stay calm when stressed.
Mucuna pruriens is an ancient herb that is commonly used in India to treat Parkinson’s disease. It is known to increase the levels of dopamine in your brain and reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, such as tremors, stiffness, slow movement and depression.
L-Tryptophan
Mucuna pruriens contain L-Tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid needed for healthy brain function. This nutrient boosts the levels of serotonin in the body and helps to reduce mood swings, insomnia and other common symptoms associated with low serotonin.
It also increases levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is critical for the coordinating of bodily movements and other important tasks. It can also help to improve overall mental health, increase libido and relieve stress and anxiety.
L-tryptophan is used to treat depression, and it can increase proteins and certain brain chemicals, such as serotonin. L-tryptophan helps the body make These chemicals help control your mood and sleep.
Some people take L-tryptophan supplements to help ease mood swings or depression. It may also be used to treat sleep disorders, like narcolepsy or insomnia. A small amount of L-tryptophan is found in meat and other foods.
It can also help to lower your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure. Studies have shown that taking L-tryptophan can lower your blood pressure by reducing the number of chemicals in your blood called sodium chloride and potassium.
The highest dose of L-tryptophan, 100 mg/kg, reduced blood pressure in normal and spontaneously hypertensive rats. This effect was apparent within 30 min of treatment and reached maximal response by 60 min.
Conclusion
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical plant that grows naturally in India, the Caribbean and tropical Africa. It is also known as the “velvet bean” due to its velvet-like covering of hairs on its seed pods.
Mucuna has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat nervous disorders like Kampavata and Parkinson's disease. Levodopa, the main active ingredient of mucuna, has been shown to reduce symptoms of Parkinson's disease by regenerating dopamine levels in the brain.
In addition to the benefits it has on brain health, mucuna may help lower blood pressure. One study showed that a mucuna extract reduced both blood pressure and cortisol, which is the stress hormone.
The mucuna extract also increased serotonin in cells, which is believed to promote good mood and sleep. Studies have also found that mucuna can help people with depression.
