Mucuna and maca
Mucuna Pruriens and Maca Root in Quietum Plus: Evidence
Mucuna pruriens and maca root share tile 1 of the Quietum Plus sales page. Mucuna is a natural source of levodopa, the Parkinson's drug, and maca has small trials for mood and energy. We found no trial of either for hearing or tinnitus, and the capsule amounts are not printed.
Written by the Quietum Plus label deskUpdated
01The two ingredients
What are mucuna pruriens and maca root?
Mucuna pruriens is a velvet bean seed. Maca root is a Peruvian root vegetable. Together they fill tile 1.
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical bean used in Ayurvedic practice. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) grows in the high Andes and is sold as a powder or extract. The sales page lists both on the first of its nine tiles and adds no claim of its own to that tile (Quietum Plus sales page).
Neither one appears on the bottle front, and no amount is printed anywhere we could read. That matters here more than usual, because the one measured fact about mucuna is tied to how much of it you take.
| Name on the sales page | Mucuna Pruriens |
|---|---|
| What it is | Velvet bean seed; a natural source of levodopa (L-dopa) |
| Sales-page tile | Tile 1, no claim of its own |
| Group (ours) | Roots sold for vitality |
| Amount in a capsule | Not printed |
| Usually sold or studied for | Traditional Ayurvedic herb; studied as a natural source of levodopa in Parkinson's disease |
| Research on hearing or tinnitus | No hearing or tinnitus trials found |
| Main caution | Contains levodopa: in a small trial, mucuna powder gave more levodopa exposure than a levodopa tablet. Ask first if you take Parkinson's medicine. |
| Name on the sales page | Maca Root |
|---|---|
| What it is | Lepidium meyenii, a Peruvian root vegetable |
| Sales-page tile | Tile 1, no claim of its own |
| Group (ours) | Roots sold for vitality |
| Amount in a capsule | Not printed |
| Usually sold or studied for | Sold for energy, mood and libido; small human trials |
| Research on hearing or tinnitus | No hearing or tinnitus trials found |
| Main caution | Well tolerated in a 12-week trial of 3 g a day of extract; long-term safety of extracts is not well studied. |
The tile photo shows dark seeds on burlap, a vendor picture of the raw plant. It does not show what is in the capsule.
02Levodopa
Does mucuna pruriens contain L-dopa?
Yes. Mucuna seed powder is a natural source of levodopa, the main medicine for Parkinson's disease.
In a small trial, 11 people with Parkinson's disease took 30 g of mucuna powder on one visit and two levodopa tablets on another. The powder gave more levodopa exposure than the tablets, and mild, short nausea and dizziness were more common with it (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT).
That dose and that group do not match a capsule supplement. The trial shows only that the bean carries a real drug. It does not tell us how much levodopa a Quietum Plus capsule holds, because the amount of mucuna is not printed.
Parkinson's medicine
Levodopa, carbidopa or similar drugs. An extra source of levodopa could change how the medicine works.
Mood and sleep medicine
Antidepressants, sedatives or anything that acts on brain chemistry. Ask your pharmacist about the pair.
Do not change a Parkinson's medicine on your own. Our general list is on the supplements and medicines page.
03Maca
What does maca root do in a supplement?
Maca is sold for energy, mood and sexual function, and the human trials are few and small.
A review of four maca trials found limited evidence for sexual function and said the trials were too few and too small for firm conclusions (Shin et al., Maca Systematic Review). A 12-week trial of 175 adults in Peru gave 3 g a day of maca extract and found better mood and energy scores than placebo, with no serious side effects (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT).
The mood result rested on questionnaires, and the extract dose was set by the researchers. Quietum Plus does not print its maca amount or say which kind of maca it uses, so the trial cannot be matched to the capsules.
| Ingredient | Human trial | Animal or lab | Hearing or tinnitus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mucuna pruriens | Yes, in Parkinson's patients (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT) | Not reviewed here | None found |
| Maca root | Yes, small trials of mood and sexual function (Shin et al., Maca Systematic Review) (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT) | Not reviewed here | None found |
04Mood and sleep
Can mucuna and maca affect mood or sleep?
Maca has some trial support for mood in healthy adults. For mucuna and sleep we found nothing solid.
The Peru trial reported higher mood scores with maca (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT). That fits one line on the bottle front, Mood Support, but it is one trial, with one extract at a stated dose.
Mucuna works through levodopa, which the body turns into dopamine. That is a drug-level effect, and it is why nausea and dizziness appeared in the trial (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT). We found no study of mucuna and sleep, and the sleep and mood digests we read do not cover either herb (NCCIH, Depression Digest) (NCCIH, Sleep Disorders).
If a capsule makes you dizzy, sick or oddly restless, stop and call your pharmacist or doctor. Do not drive until you know how it affects you.
05The formula
Why are mucuna and maca listed in a hearing capsule?
The sales page does not say. Both herbs are sold mainly for vitality and libido.
The page gives no reason for putting them first. The bottle front names Clear Mind, Memory & Focus and Mood Support, so maca's mood trial is the closest fit (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT). Neither herb is linked to the ear in the sources we read.
Herbal sexual enhancers as a group have few side-effect data, and mixing them with other products is the larger worry (Brunetti et al., Herbal Sexual Enhancers). That is one more reason to bring the full label to your pharmacist.
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See packs06Hearing
Is there evidence that maca or mucuna helps hearing?
No. We found no trial of either one for hearing loss or ringing in the ears.
The NIDCD says none of the vitamins, herbs or supplements advertised for tinnitus has been shown to work (NIDCD, Tinnitus). The 2026 US guideline tells clinicians not to recommend dietary supplements for persistent, bothersome tinnitus (AAO-HNSF Tinnitus Update 2026).
Both herbs on this tile are better known as libido and vitality herbs. The sales page lists them in a capsule sold with a hearing message, and the sources do not link them to the ear. Tinnitus needs its causes checked, such as noise damage, earwax, medicines or blood vessels (Mayo Clinic, Tinnitus).
When ringing is a doctor question, not a supplement question
Sudden hearing loss in one ear (same day), ringing that beats with your pulse, ringing after a head injury, or ringing with dizziness, weakness or a drooping face. Call 911 for sudden weakness or a drooping face. Sources: NIDCD on sudden deafness (NIDCD, Sudden Deafness), the NHS (NHS, Tinnitus), Mayo Clinic (Mayo Clinic, Tinnitus) and the tinnitus guideline (AAO-HNSF Tinnitus Guideline 2014).
07Cautions
Who should avoid mucuna pruriens?
Anyone on Parkinson's medicine, anyone pregnant or nursing, and anyone whose doctor has not seen the full label.
- People who take levodopa or other Parkinson's drugs (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT)
- People on antidepressants or other mood medicine, until a pharmacist has checked the pair
- Pregnant or nursing women, because many supplements are untested in them (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely)
- Anyone who has had dizziness or nausea from herbal products before
The sales page tells buyers who are pregnant, nursing, on medication or living with a condition to consult a physician (Quietum Plus sales page, claims). Maca has fewer known problems. It was well tolerated in the 12-week trial, but long-term safety of extracts is not well studied (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT).
Do not stop or change a prescription because of a supplement. Bring the bottle to your doctor.
08Next
What should you check before taking Quietum Plus because of mucuna and maca?
Check Parkinson's and mood medicine first, then the label, then your ears.
Read the amounts, serving and warnings on your own bottle. Our label page lists what is missing from the images. Next on the list is the adaptogen pair on tile 6, which carries liver and thyroid cautions. See all 18 ingredients for the rest.
09FAQ
Mucuna and maca questions, short answers
What is mucuna pruriens?
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical velvet bean used in Ayurvedic practice. Its seed is a natural source of levodopa, the Parkinson's drug (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT). It shares tile 1 of the Quietum Plus sales page with maca, and its capsule amount is not printed (Quietum Plus sales page).
What does maca root do in a supplement?
Maca root is sold for energy, mood and sexual function. A review found limited evidence for sexual function (Shin et al., Maca Systematic Review), and a 12-week trial found better mood and energy scores than placebo (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT). Neither trial tested Quietum Plus or hearing.
Does mucuna pruriens contain L-dopa?
Yes. In a small trial, mucuna powder gave more levodopa exposure than levodopa tablets, with more mild nausea and dizziness (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT). People on Parkinson's medicine should ask their doctor before taking any product that lists mucuna.
Can mucuna and maca affect mood or sleep?
Maca raised mood scores in one 12-week trial (Gonzales-Arimborgo et al., Maca RCT). Mucuna acts through levodopa, which can cause dizziness and nausea (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT). We found no study of either herb for sleep, so we cannot say Quietum Plus helps or harms it.
Is there evidence that maca helps hearing?
No. We found no trial of maca for hearing loss or tinnitus. The NIDCD says no supplement advertised for tinnitus has been shown to work (NIDCD, Tinnitus), and a hearing exam is the first step for new ringing.
Who should avoid mucuna pruriens?
People on levodopa or other Parkinson's drugs should avoid it unless their doctor agrees (Boonmongkol et al., Mucuna RCT). Pregnant or nursing women and people on mood medicine should also ask first, because many supplements are untested in those groups (NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely).
10Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the bottle images, the sales page and linked NIH, NIDCD, FDA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Goquietumplus, a USA Authorized Quietum Plus Retailer, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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