Broad beans and drugs
Broad beans are legumes rich in tyramine ; therefore, they should be avoided in the diet of those who take monoamine oxidase inhibitors (an enzyme that metabolizes serotonin and catecholamines necessary for maintaining normal physical balance and mood).
Fave, Favismo and Malaria
Raw beans also contain nearby alkaloids and convicina, which can induce the dreaded haemolytic anemia in subjects with hereditary glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency. This condition is potentially fatal and is called favism (in fact, from "fava").
The native areas of the legume correspond to the malarial territories (infectious pathology due to a protozoan which, through the bite of mosquitoes, infects humans). Some epidemiological studies carried out in vitro suggest that favism-induced hemolysis could act as a protective factor against malaria; this is because some species of malarial protozoa such as Plasmodium falciparum are very sensitive to the oxidative damage inflicted by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, which physiologically contributes to the production of glutathione reductase (a powerful endogenous antioxidant).
Broad beans, L-dopa, Parkinson's and Hypertension
The beans are rich in L-dopa, a substance used in medicine for the treatment of Parkinson's disease . L-dopa is also a natriuretic agent that could help control hypertension.
Broad beans, Tannins, Oxidation and Blood Sugar
The beans contain condensed tannins of the proanthocyanidin type, which in addition to performing the normal antioxidant function, could have an inhibitory activity on some enzymes such as dipeptidyl-peptidase IV with consequent hypoglycemic effect.
