Mucuna pruriens and Parkinson's disease
What 5 graded rows on mucuna pruriens agree on for Parkinson's disease, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Mucuna pruriens page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Mucuna pruriens page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Mucuna pruriens and Parkinson's disease
5 rows · 83 peopleMostly an improvement: 4 of 5 rows, and most of the people. 1 had mixed results.
- CGrade C× 1
- DGrade D× 4
- Rows
- 5
- Trials
- 5
- People
- 83
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a crossover trial of 18 people (2017) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 8 to 32 people, published from 2004 to 2026: 5 single studies.
The rows
4 improved · 1 mixed- CGrade CMotor response to a single dose in advanced Parkinson's disease · Improved
Crossover RCT · n 18 · 2017 · Adults with advanced Parkinson's disease
12.5 or 17.5 mg/kg single doses · Single doses, randomised order
Low-dose mucuna gave a similar motor response to levodopa/benserazide with fewer dyskinesias; high-dose mucuna gave a greater, longer response. No differences in heart rate or blood pressure.
Row on the Mucuna pruriens page · PubMed 28679598 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DQuality of life and motor symptoms in newly diagnosed, drug-naive Parkinson's disease · Improved
RCT · n 32 · 2026 · Adults with Parkinson's disease not yet on medication (sub-Saharan Africa, multicentre)
Weight- and stage-adjusted levodopa dose · 12 months
Quality of life and motor and non-motor symptoms improved similarly in both groups; adverse events were more frequent with mucuna (56% vs 37.5%, not significant), and 12.5% discontinued.
Row on the Mucuna pruriens page · PubMed 41269916 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DLevodopa exposure and ON time versus dispersible levodopa in Parkinson's disease · Improved
Crossover RCT · n 11 · 2025 · Adults with Parkinson's disease and motor complications (Thailand)
30 g single dose · Single doses, 2-week washout
Levodopa exposure (AUC) with mucuna was 156% of the tablets' (90% CI 135–180%), outside the bioequivalence range; ON time without dyskinesia was longer (232.2 vs 161.8 min, p = 0.01). Mild nausea and dizziness were more frequent with mucuna.
Row on the Mucuna pruriens page · PubMed 40137945 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DOnset and duration of motor response in Parkinson's disease · Improved
Crossover RCT · n 8 · 2004 · Adults with Parkinson's disease, short levodopa response and dyskinesias
15 g or 30 g single doses · Single doses at weekly intervals
With 30 g mucuna, onset was faster (34.6 vs 68.5 min) and on-time 21.9% longer than levodopa/carbidopa, with 110% higher peak levodopa levels; dyskinesias and tolerability did not differ.
Row on the Mucuna pruriens page · PubMed 15548480 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DDaily use over 16 weeks in advanced Parkinson's disease · Mixed
Crossover RCT · n 14 · 2018 · Adults with Parkinson's disease, motor fluctuations and dyskinesias
Daily, titrated · 16 weeks (crossover)
7 of 14 (50%) stopped mucuna early, 4 for gastrointestinal side effects and 3 for worsening movement; nobody stopped levodopa/carbidopa. Those who tolerated mucuna responded similarly.
Row on the Mucuna pruriens page · PubMed 29352722 (opens PubMed)