Taking mucuna for fertility and libido
A study which involved 120 men proved that Mucuna pruriens is able to reduce stress and even improve semen quality for men struggling with fertility issues. Sixty of the participants were healthy men who had initiated at least one pregnancy, while the other sixty were men were undergoing infertility screening.
These men were provided with 5 grams of mucuna pruriens each day for a period of 3 months, along with psychological stress assessments and cortisol level tests. At the end of the trials, the researchers concluded that the formerly 'infertile' men now had a sperm count that matched the 'fertile' men, along with a significant decrease in cortisol levels.
Taking mucuna for anxiety and depression
Since dopamine is essential for proper mental functioning and emotional regulation, it’s no surprise that this bean can also boost your mood. This is because your body uses dopamine to regulate the release of a wide array of hormones and is also known to calm the nervous system down.
Mucuna is also useful for treating stress and depression. However, make sure to consult with a professional first, since there is a chance that mucuna could make depression more severe in certain individuals. This is because dopamine in large enough doses may interfere with serotonin production.
Taking mucuna for ADHD, focus, and learning
If you suffer from ADHD, then mucuna may be able to help you stay on task. A number of studies have also shown how mucuna is able to boost both learning and reaction time. One such study was carried out on tested 8 adults between the ages of 21-28 with a single 200mg dose of levodopa, which is the synthetic form of L-dopa found in mucuna. The results showed that “Levodopa improved reaction time performance in a specific way: it interacted with signal intensity, but its effect was additive with those of stimulus-response mapping and foreperiod duration.”
How to take mucuna
You can take 200 to 500 mg with food, up to 1,000 mg of mucuna every day. However, be sure not to exceed this amount since it can lead to nasty side effects, such as high blood pressure, palpitations or nausea.
Ideally, mucuna is cycled on and off to avoid building up a tolerance and dependency. This means that it should only be taken four to five times a week and not on a daily basis.
You can also use other supplements to help improve the absorption of mucuna, such as Serotonin-Dopamine drops, 1000-2000 mg of N-Acetyl Cysteine, 50 mg of Rhodiola twice a day, and even 1000 mg of L-tyrosine twice a day on an empty stomach.