> Supplement Index > Calabar Bean / Physostigma venenosum > Calabar Bean General Information Calabar Bean Uses & Scientific Evidence For Calabar Bean Dosage Information Calabar Bean Safety & Interaction Information - - - - - - - - - - - - Back to Top - - - - - - - - - - - - Calabar Bean General Information Calabar Bean can be found in western Africa in an area around Nigeria once known as Calabar. These beans are poisonous and can be fatal. Up until the past century, native Africans used the beans in their justice system. If a person was accused of a crime, he was fed Calabar Beans. If the prisoner vomited within a half an hour, he was presumed innocent, but if the prisoner was poisoned to death, it was a guilty verdict. Even though Calabar Bean is poisonous, it also has medicinal benefits. Calabar Bean contains several alkaloids; however, physostigmine, a powerful stimulant of muscular contractions, is by far the most potent. It causes death by paralyzing the heart, diaphragm, and pulmonary muscles, but that same property has proven useful in reversing the actions of poisonous substances such as atropine and curare, which kill by relaxing the same muscles. - - - - - - - - - - - - Back to Top - - - - - - - - - - - - Calabar Bean Uses & Scientific Evidence For Doctors used physostigmine and its synthetic counterpart, neostigmine, to stimulate intestinal muscles after the shock of surgery and to neutralize the symptoms of myasthenia gravis, a muscle-weakening disease. Physostigmine is mainly used though in the field of ophthalmology. This property causes the pupil of the eye to contract and drain excess fluid, which helps prevent optic nerve damage and the blindness associated with glaucoma. Calabar Bean is being studied as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. - - - - - - - - - - - - Back to Top - - - - - - - - - - - - Calabar Bean Dosage Information Under no circumstances should Calabar Bean be taken without the supervision of a physician. - - - - - - - - - - - - Back to Top - - - - - - - - - - - - Calabar Bean Safety & Interaction Information Calabar Bean is a poison and can be fatal. If poisoning should occur, the stomach should be evacuated and antropine injected until the pulse quickens. - - - - - - - - - - - - Back to Top - - - - - - - - - -