Yeah, I'll try a higher dose of EGCG. I just don't like having to swallow so many capsules.
For Mucuna, I tried it both with and without Selegiline. Same response, felt nothing noticeable.
I'm not sure if even taking it a few days a week is safe in the long-term. It might downregulate dopamine production, though this seems unlikely especially since it seems to maintain efficacy in Parkinson's patients. Though, I think they do periodically increase the dose but it's more likely due to the progression of the disease and not tolerance per se.
L-DOPA given alone is often useless as it's metabolized in the peripheral system before it reaches the brain. A decarboxylase inhibitor is needed, but Mucuna supposedly doesn't have this issue as it has an decarboxylase inhibitor compound? I think I read that once, but I can't recall nor can find a study that demonstrates this. Quite the opposite, at least 1 study found Mucuna to be 3.5x weaker than traditional L-DOPA + Carbidopa
Background
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition. Levodopa (LD) is the gold standard therapy for PD patients. Most PD patients in low-income areas cannot afford long-term daily Levodopa therapy. The aim of our study was to investigate if Mucuna pruriens (MP), a legume with high LD content that grows in tropical regions worldwide, might be potential alternative for poor PD patients.
Methods
We analyzed 25 samples of MP from Africa, Latin America and Asia. We measured the content in LD in various MP preparations (dried, roasted, boiled). LD pharmacokinetics and motor response were recorded in four PD patients, comparing MP vs. LD + Dopa-Decarboxylase Inhibitor (DDCI) formulations.
Results
Median LD concentration in dried MP seeds was 5.29%; similar results were obtained in roasted powder samples (5.3%), while boiling reduced LD content up to 70%. Compared to LD + DDCI, MP extract at similar LD dose provided less clinical benefit, with a 3.5-fold lower median AUC.
Conclusion
Considering the lack of a DDCI, MP therapy may provide clinical benefit only when content of LD is at least 3.5-fold the standard LD + DDCI. If long-term MP proves to be safe and effective in controlled clinical trials, it may be a sustainable alternative therapy for PD in low-income countries.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022510X16301836
