Category Archives: fava bean tincture

Tincture Made from Sprouts of Fava Beans

fava bean tincture

New fava beans kitchen experiment at Bean Acres:

  •    I sprouted1 cup  fava beans for 4 days after a 24 hour soak.
  •    Peeled / cut out bad spots/ rinsed and mashed the beans very fine (did not steam them)
  •    Placed 1 Cup mashed sprouts in a jar with 3/4 C brandy
  •    Labeled and dated and shook this for a month.
  •    Strained the tincture thru a fine tea strainer mesh and pressed as much   liquid as possible out of the mash.

 

I let this set for a day and then using a clean turkey baster (used only for tinctures) remove the clear liquid and placed it into a clean jar, being careful not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the jar. I do not discard the sediment , but keep it separate & use it first.

From this amount of sprout mash & brandy I ended up with 1/2 C plus a little of clear tincture (and minus 1/4 C sediment to use first). This tincture is probably low in l-dopa. No one has done a lab test on it to see.

A person has to start with a few drops and experiment to find a good supplemental dose for their own needs. If a person is under doctor’s care and taking PD drugs…much care would need to be taken to not overdose l-dopa. Always a doctor should be consulted and informed about a patient’s desire to try natural forms of l-dopa.

It is so simple for myself to decide how much l-dopa I need because I am not taking PD medications.  I just do a finger-tapping test and see if I am needing to take tincture. My right hand is always the same…it is my left hand that is mostly effected. If it taps moderately slow…I take a half dropper full. If very slow…a whole dropper.  If the left hand is tapping in time with the right hand…I don’t need any tincture.

If you want to try making and using tincture …it is at your own risk…I am only sharing my experiences with PD and what has helped me.  We are all so very different and will not respond the same. I can only hope that what works for me might help some other people also.

God Bless You.

Love,

Aunt Bean

Aunt Bean’s Fava Beans Tincture

fava bean tincture

I was diagnosed with PD 4 years ago, and am on a low dose Mirapex ever since. I am interested in trying the fava beans tincture but I can’t locate a doctor in this area that knows anything about testing for favism or G6PD. Is it to risky to take it without the test?

Also, I am wondering how you are doing with the fava beans tincture made fermenting the beans and adding brandy. That would be my preference.Could you advise me how to use the beans for best results?

Thank You and God Bless.

Testing for favism by having a G6pd test: We have a lab here open to the public called “ANY BLOOD TEST NOW” You don’t even need a doctor to send you there. Just go and tell them what you want and they do it. They can send the results to your doctor and to you..whatever you like. See
if this place is a “chain.” You might have one near you. Even if the doctor you have doesn’t know anything about the test just request that he order blood drawn and do it, because the diagnostic places know about it and that is what is important. A doctor should have enough courtesy to open a book and look up things he knows nothing about. Favism is an inherited enzyme deficiency.

As for making the fava bean tincture – I collect just the tops (unopened leaves and flowers that form at the top of the plant). Afterwards they come up from the bottom also and on side shoots. The pinching off of the tops actually discourages aphids. It is the candy on the plant. This also makes the plant healthier, bushier and it produces side shoots because of it, hence more tops!

I just dry the fava bean tops in a dehydrator, put them in a jar, cover with brandy,  label the jar and shake it for a month, then strain, pressing tops to get the most possible tincture out of them. Let this sit still for a day with a lid covering it tight so it doesn’t evaporate.

Then take something to extract it from the top down slowly so as not to disturb the sediment that has settled to the bottom of the jar. This can be a brand new turkey baster used only for this purpose. I found a really nice one that is stainless steel at Bed/ Bath and Beyond. It has a smaller hole at the end an injector for putting fluids into meat that you are cooking. Works great.

The sediment at the bottom is not something you want in with your tincture. It will shorten the shelf life. It can be used though. I put it in another little dropper bottle marked SEDIMENT of fava tops tincture and use it first.

I have not yet tried fermenting fava beans…have thought about it alot and will try in January this year when the world slows down a little (hopefully). Perhaps you can try a ferment and let us know how it goes???

After you have your G6pd test done try sprouting fava beans for 3 days. Peel and rinse and cut out any bad places and then steam them for 6 minutes. Eat a few and see if that helps. They keep well frozen in a single layer in ziplock freezer bags and it is easy to access them when needed.   On the blog there is a recipe for fava sprout balls.  Try them also.

By the way they can be squashed and dehydrated to make them more portable. We just tried this and they work fine. It makes them like a cookie. I still keep them in the freezer until needed to retain freshness.

If you are growing your own patch of fava beans one of the best means of support is the very young green pods. Wash / Steam / Juice and take a small amount, building til you find the proper amount of l-dopa to support you. I suggest freezing small portions that would be enough for a day of doses instead of freezing a jar. Ice cube trays might work well or use juice to make dried fava juice chips. They keep well and work great for
support.

We all are different. What works for me may not work for you and vise versa. Always start small when trying something new. I think of it as “Non-Clinical trials.” Take notes and write how you feel/ what symptoms
you are experiencing, etc. Then as you feel a change which comes on so slow and un-noticed at times with the beans…they are such a gentle support…..try to be aware and write it down.  There is no way of measuring l-dopa with self – concocted supplements (unless you are also a chemist) so it is a guessing game basically.

It is a game I personally do not mind playing though. It is better to me than having a doctor play the guessing game and me be a true guinee pig with chemicals my body doesn’t know what to do with.

I suggest the book: Natural Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease by Dr. Laurie Mischley She has done a marvelous job of suggesting supplements/ foods etc for PD.

Read and research on your own. You are the one who will benefit from it. It’s worth it!

God Bless.

Love,

Aunt Bean

Fall Fava Beans Farm Update

farm update, fava bean tincture

Picked my first fava bean  plant tops from the greenhouse experimental patch (which are doing beautifully so far). Many people have asked how many fava beans would they have to grow to make tincture.  I have 2 raised beds in the upper garden still producing…counted the plants (74) and gathered 2 Cups of fava tops from them on Saturday.  These 2 Cups dried and crushed were just under 1/2 Cup to mix with brandy and make tincture…so that will make approximately 1/3rd of a peanut butter jar of tincture. (which will probably be enough for my doses for a month or so) You can harvest “tops” from the plant about every week after they start to flower…so good healthy plants may give you 3, 4 or 5 weeks of picking new tops of side shoots depending on weather conditions.

I GROW MANY MORE PLANTS THAN THESE 2 RAISED BEDS. Also, I grew these plants only about 4 inches apart in a row and 8 inches between rows…..planted late just to have for tincture tops and not for beans.   If you are growing them for beans…they need to be at least 6 inches apart and 10 to 12 inches between rows (2 rows together and then 16 inches before the next two rows to make a good walking space/kneeling space for harvesting. They will keep growing down to 26 degrees.

We picked our first yellow summer squash out of the greenhouse on Friday and used it on a delicious homemade gluten-free pizza with fresh sweet peppers still coming in from the garden. (Also dried tomatoes, onions, garlic and cut up blue lake bush green beans/ tomato sauce  and a smidge of cheese). YUMMY and healthy too.

Hurricane Sandy is on it’s way and they are predicting a cold spell this week with snow….but only down to freezing the end of the week…we’ll see if the field plants mind snow on them.

Blessings….Stay warm ..

Aunt Bean

Fava Beans for Newly Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease

dosages of fava beans, fava bean tincture

After not coping well with my first synthetic drug (Bromocriptine) for my newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease, I started researching,  and found PARKINSON’S RECOVERY and a lot of interesting stuff. Mostly, I was looking for an alternative medicine – something natural. Found your information on fava beans, and I am inspired to grow some and see what happens.  I live in Vancouver, a good fava beans climate, I’m guessing.

So, my question is this:

How soon do the beans work their magic?  An hour after ingesting?  2hours? 4 hours?  8 hours?

How long does the amount of half a cup of cooked beans last on a person?

I have no idea what I’m doing, but felt that the beans are working.  The first time I had them, I went to a book club meeting shortly thereafter, and 2 hours later, I think it was, I started noticing I was feeling different. Usually I am the first to leave (10 PM I’m done!).  But that night I was wide awake and felt less nervous, less shaky on myleft side (where my troubles are starting to show) and also my voice was louder. I was amazed they all heard a comment they made, as usually people can’t hear me very well – especially with a loud crowd of women alltalking at a party volume.

The next day, I made bean cookies, and ate 3-4, and felt okay, but felt like my belly was hot. 2 hours later, I went for a run and felt okay, but not dramatically different.

Could you please tell me more?  I’m not sure what amount to eat, when to eat it and how often.

I hope you can help me!

Thanks for all your great info so far. Oh – and if you know anyone that sells a tincture, let me know please. I live in Vancouver B.C.

THANK YOU!

Antonia

It depends on the person when the beans take effect and how long it
lasts…each person and each set of PD symptoms are so different…as
different as you individual fingerprint…we are all unique.  For me,
I am taking my fava top tincture as my mainstay for alleviating
symptoms. I eat 2 or 3 fava sprout balls a day also now and my face
and eyes seem more alive with that little bit of extra l-dopa and I
am sure because of all the many constituents of the beans themselves
over what is in the tops of the plants.

I still need a bio-chemist to work with me on this. I want to know too
just why and how they work. And, very thankful that they do!!

A friend who is using the sprout balls for supplementing her Sinemet
doses says a couple hours later she begins to notice that her tremor
is gone. She uses 2 or three balls several times a day and says she
feels much better using them.

Did you get a G6pd blood test to make sure you do not have favism?
It is so important to do this. Talk to your doctor and let him know
what you are trying to do with natural things for PD. He might not
know a thing about favas, but could research about them. Also, any
meds you are on may have to be reduced because you are getting l-dopa
from the beans.

Some people do well on a meal of favas once a day..but that might
be fresh green favas, not the older ones canned in stores. There is
even more l-dopa in the young green pods. If you know a grower or
have space to grow your own, that is best.

I am experimenting right now on a complete kitchen tincture. It
will be completed Nov 17th and I will post on the results and if it is
possible for “you-all” to make something from the fava sprouts grown
hydroponically in the kitchen to make your own tincture.

There is no one I know that sells fava top tincture. Wish there was.
I wouldn’t have to work so hard! But, it is great to be able to make
your own l-dopa supplement and not have side-effects (other than lack
of tremor and other aggravating symptoms of PD). It has changed my
life!

Hope this helps..all we can do is experiment to find what works for each person individually….and try papaya!

God Bless You.

Aunt BEAN

Tincture from Fava Beans Grown Hydroponically

fava bean tincture

I tried a fava beans tincture using the whole young plant grown hydroponically in the kitchen. I did not dry them  before tincture-ing and am going to try a new experiment starting today…growing the seeds in shallow water to about 6 inches tall and then DRYING the whole plant(seed  at bottom also) before tincturing.

I don’t think the small amount I made with fresh plant in the blender will keep well…so I am back to drying the plant parts first…will let you know in a about 6 weeks if I am happier with this batch….and I will count bean plants and get exact measurements of dried plant material to put in jar with how much brandy to share with you.

It is wonderful to be able to make your own l-dopa supplements and not have to depend on synthetic l-dopa that causes yet other symptoms I still need a researcher here to test things. Guess the Lord is just holding off ’til the right person He has chosen is available.

I sometimes feel impatient and have to remind myself. ..To everything, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven I look at those around me suffering with the symptoms of PD and the side-effects from the medications and want so much for them to be able to have a better quality of life and feel good …the way I do. God has made every natural we need to survive. EVERYTHING!

We just need to learn how to use what he has given and be thankful each day for our many blessings…too many to count.

May God Bless You!

Aunt Bean

Fava Beans Q&A

fava bean tincture, growing Fava beans

Below are Aunt Bean’s answers to Edward’s questions about growing fava beans.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Parkinsons Recovery

1. How much l-dopa in sprouted fava beans?

Answer:  Approximately 2 mg l-dopa.

2. Frozen sprouted fava beans: How to eat?

Answer: They will thaw in your mouth. I steam them 6 to 8 minutes to make them chewable before freezing. Put out on a plate. They would thaw quickly if you don’t want to suck on a frozen one.  We eat fava sprout balls directly from the freezer and just let them thaw in our mouths…yummy!

3. Can I grow sprouts of fava beans in a large flower pot.?

Answer: “Large” can mean many things  (gallon/ 2 gallon/tree size?)  A gallon pot would be fine for 1 plant..they need sun and mulch to keep their roots cool. They are a cool weather plant and can stand temperatures to 26 degrees in ground. In pots you may have to bring them inside if it is below 30 degrees.

4. How many leaves from a plant of fava beans does it take to make the tincture?

Answer: That depends how big or small your glass jar is in which you are going to shake the tops and brandy in for a month. I don’t generally just use leaves, but prefer the unopened leaves and flowers that form after a while at the top of the plant. Right now I am experimenting with a whole plant tincture and will report on this as soon as possible. I am still looking for a chemist that will test things for me around  here. Then will post on blog.

5. How long does the tincture last after you have made it?

Answer: I have had it up to a year before using it.

Hope this helps…off to the garden………

Blessings,     

Aunt Bean

Mucuna as a Natural Dopamine Supplement

fava bean tincture, mucuna beans

The mucuna I have been taking is not helping. Comments?

“I have grown fava and mucuna here at the farm. My bean of choice is fava personally. Mucuna is powerful and gives extra strength and energy when needed desperately. Fava is like a gentle support that works and you hardly know you’ve taken anything.. I’m just functional.

I usually take tincture upon rising and didn’t yet this morning. Holding my right hand over the mouse..I have a slight tremor (my right hand is not usually the one that is effected…PD is already on both sides, but as long as I take tincture when I feel my neck pain coming on or my left arm stop swinging…I have NO Symptoms. It’s great.

If the mucuna you tried didn’t work, may I suggest trying the mucuna from Swansons Health products in capsules. 800-437-4148. They are in Fargo, ND.

My friend takes 2 in AM/Lunch/supper She is taking tincture thru the day also….but has had PD awhile.

How long have you been diagnosed? If l-dopa doesn’t help, your symptoms may be from another cause.

Check out the book Natural Therapies for Parkinsons Disease by Dr. Laurie K Mischley. You may find what you are looking for there.

God Bless

Aunt Bean

Aunt Bean’s Tincture Comes from Tips of Fava Beans Plants

Fava Bean Festival, fava bean tincture

At the Fava Beans Festival in Piney Flats, Tennessee, Aunt Bean shows how she harvests the tips of fava beans growing on her farm. She uses the tips (which look somewhat like delicate flowers) to make her magical tincture that has offered her sustained relief from her own Parkinson’s symptoms.

Robert Rodgers, Ph.D.
Pioneers of Recovery
http://www.pioneersofrecovery.com

[flashvideo filename=videos/tincture1.flv image=videos/tincture1.jpg /]

Growing Fava Beans

fava bean tincture, G6pd blood test, harvesting fava beans

Dear Aunt Bean:

Can you be more specific with the process for making the fava bean tincture? I have ordered seeds to grow the beans to make a tincture. Getting info from you would be easier than re-inventing the wheel.

1-What will the bean look like when it is mature?

ANSWER: At maturity…you will see the large beans firm and bulging inside the pod.

2-What then? Pick and let dry? Do they have to dry? Can dry beans be kept in freezer until ready to sprout at a later time, like in winter?

ANSWER:  To use the l-dopa…we usually pick the pods a few inches long when pretty and green and unspotted. The mature beans are usually getting aphid spots that have to be cut out OR the whole been may need tossed. The mature bean pods and the young ones have the same amount of l-dopa (so we pick young!!)
We  open the pods / remove the beans / steam pods and beans separately and enjoy the beans for meals (not much l-dopa , but a good gentle support for the next day). The pods we juice and usually make bean blobs (Dried chips) from them . The juice can also be frozen in ice cube trays and used as a drink when needed.

Mature dry beans can be kept in the freezer but it is not necessary unless you are afraid of bugs getting to them or varying house temperatures or dampness that would cause them to sprout.

3-How do you sprout them? in water? wrapped in a damp paper towel? Rinse?  I have seen your info after that; steam, mash, soak in brandy.

ANSWER:   Soak for 24  hrs in a bowl in filtered water / then rinse 3 times a day for 3 days.  Peel off the thin skin membrane  then steam 6 to 8 minutes and freeze and eat as needed  or make sprout balls  / or can tincture them to make liquid l-dopa mash the sprouts/ place in a glass jar / cover with brandy and close tightly with lid/ shake for 1 month / strain/ let stand a day for the sediment to settle/ then siphon off  (leaving sediment in the bottom) and label the bottle.

Start out with just a couple of drops until you find the proper dose for you.   MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A G6pd blood test before doing anything with favas  and consult your doctor before embarking on this adventure. If you are already on meds you can get into serious trouble experimenting.

4-About how many beans make how much tincture?

Answer….I usually use fava plant tops.  I will have to do a new batch of sprout tincture to count beans for certain size jar,   but I’ll do that and report

5-Will the tincture “go bad” – thinking about how much can be made ahead.

ANSWER:  We have kept tincture a year past that I don’t know

6-In my research I found a Fava called “Ianto’s Return” (sometimes Ianto’s, or sometimes Lanto’s) “Originally introduced by Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds. A large-seeded Guatemalan variety that reaches 6 feet tall. The bright yellow seeds are reputed to contain elevated levels of dopamine.” Is this the variety that you grow?

ANSWER:   I am using a generic variety (Who knows)  that the health food store had shipped in for me  Organic Sproutable Fava Beans”    Most favas are pretty much the same.  I’ve tried 10 varieties so far *My favorite was Prescose Violetto (Italian) but Windsors are most common

Perhaps you can write up some instructions to email when requested – I think you have come upon something wonderful for those of us with PD Thank you for your discovery and for sharing! I’m looking forward to trying this and getting off of or reducing pharmaceutical dopamine.

Mary

Harvesting Fava Beans to Make a Tincture

fava bean tincture, harvesting fava beans

What will the fava bean look like when it is mature?

The pods become large and the beans will be FULL feeling inside and firm. The bean’s pod may begin to darken slightly     Main thing to watch for is aphids.   Spray weekly with parsley tea (big hand full of dried parsley steeped in 1 gallon boiling water for half hour). Let cool and spray plants with this.

 Any special instructions on growing?

Some plants become tall and need stacked. Others are shorter. It is still helpful to hill soil around them for support. Watch for aphids!!

What then? Pick and let dry? Do they have to dry? Can dry beans be kept in freezer until ready to sprout at a later time, like in winter?

The green pods are the most useful part of the plant. Juice them  at any size (as long as they are pretty…not black spotted).   Juice and freeze juice or make fava chips  by adding ground flax seed. Salt to taste  and dry blobs in dehydrator. These really work good for l-dopa.

You can also just drink the juice or freeze in ice cube trays perhaps in whatever dose size your body needs. Everyone is different!!

How do you sprout them?

Soak beans overnight in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Then, rinse three times a day for 3 whole days. Peel, rinse and steam them for 8 minutes. They are then ready to freeze or stir fry with garlic & onions or make into Fava Sprout  Balls ::  Mash steamed beans: Add peanut butter and ground oatmeal.

Look up : “No Bake Cookies” on internet  and revise as needed. People only have to find sproutable organic fava beans at the health food store to make these  They are a very good source of l-dopa.

I really prefer using sprouts instead of the  tincture of bean sprouts because there is not a great deal of l- dopa when it is completed. Thus for the tincture I prefer using the fava plant tops.

About how many beans make how much tincture?

Use 2 cups of steamed, mashed sprouts  to 1 C Brandy

Will the tincture “go bad” – thinking about how much can be made ahead.

This I cannot answer…haven’t had it for more than a month at a time.   The fava tops tincture has lasted a year (haven’t had it any longer).

In my research I found a Fava called “Ianto’s Return” (sometimes Ianto’s, or sometimes Lanto’s) “Originally introduced by Alan Kapuler of Peace Seeds. A large-seeded Guatemalan variety that reaches 6 feet tall. The bright yellow seeds are reputed to contain elevated levels of dopamine.” Is this the variety that you grow?

I have never had this variety . I buy generic, organic fava beans from the health food store in 20 lb bags.

I do highly recommend a G6pd blood test for anyone planning to try using favas for medicine.

I also recommend making your own fermented papaya. It helps symptoms amazingly well, even dried store papaya is helping a friend who is going natural like me. My friend also uses mucuna capsules 2AM    and one   1 PM and fava tops tincture in between and she is doing wonderfully.

May God Bless You and guide you in your quest for optimum good health.

Aunt Bean