- Fava beans contain a chemical called levodopa that can be converted into dopamine.
- A scientist is researching the bean to see if it can reduce depression symptoms.
Nadia Mohd-Radzman, a food security research associate at the University of Cambridge, is on a mission to get people to eat more fava beans.
Not only are they a great source of protein, fiber, and nutrients, but they have also been linked to improved depression symptoms, she told Business Insider.
She eats them every week and shared her three favorite recipes.
Fava beans, also called broad beans, contain levodopa or l-dopa, a chemical that can be converted into the pleasure hormone dopamine.
It's already used as a first-line treatment for Parkinson's disease, which causes the death of dopamine-producing brain cells, leading to tremors, issues with motor function, and difficulty walking.
And there's emerging evidence to suggest that l-dopa can ease anhedonia, an inability to feel pleasure or joy that many people with depression experience, Mohd-Radzman said. Anhedonia affects up to 70% of people with depression, according to a 2023 study published in the journal Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience, and is strongly linked to inflammation.
A 2022 study published in Nature Molecular Psychiatry found that when a small group of people with depression who had high biomarkers of inflammation took l-dopa tablets, their anhedonia eased. The effect was only seen in people who had both inflammation and depression.
Mohd-Radzman is in the process of starting a similar trial to determine whether consuming fava beans could also reduce anhedonia. She hopes to complete and publish the research within two years.
Although the high l-dopa content is likely the main way fava beans could help people with depression, there are other unexplored avenues, Mohd-Radzman said. For example, they contain valuable dietary fiber, which supports a healthy gut microbiome.
"And because we have the gut-brain axis, that could also improve mental health," she said.
One in five Americans experienced a mental health condition in 2020, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and mental health costs the US economy more than $280 billion annually, according to researchers at Columbia Business School and Yale. Fava beans could be a cheap and accessible treatment, which is why Mohd-Radzman is spreading awareness.
"For me it's a matter of getting the awareness out that there is something that could improve mental health," she said.
Here are her three favorite ways to prepare fava beans.
Fava bean stir fry
Every week Mohd-Radzman makes a stir-fry with lots of fava beans. She starts by blanching the beans in boiling water for a few minutes, and squeezing them out of their pods once they've cooled.
Then she simply stir-fries them with some tofu for added protein, garlic and onions for flavor, and either mushrooms or carrots.
If you're using young fava beans, which are softer, you can chop them into smaller pieces, she said, and throw them straight into the pan without preparing them first.
"That's it. Very easy, very simple," she said.
Make the beans into a dip
If you add oil and a bit of seasoning, you can mash the blanched fava beans and make them into a dip too, Mohd-Radzman said.
She tends to go with something very simple like salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Pair it with pita bread or spread it on toast like you would mashed avocado, she said.
Snack on them
Fava beans are high in protein and can be ready to eat in minutes, making them a great snack.
When she's preparing the beans to use them for a recipe, Mohd-Radzman likes snacking on the softened beans.
You can sprinkle some salt or soy sauce over them, squeeze the beans out of their pods, and eat them like you would edamame beans, she said.