If you’ve ever spent time inside a health foods store, then you’ll probably have heard about Maca (Lepidium meyenii).
Maca has built itself a reputation as a wellness supplement in recent years thanks to the purported health benefits it provides. These include increased cognitive ability, regulating prostate size, and increasing muscle mass, stamina, and strength.
But as we all know, there are things we hear about such medicinal plants that can mislead us into thinking that they are “silver bullets” that would instantly cure everything they say they will.
That’s why we think it’s important to take a close look at what scientific research has confirmed about this adaptogen.
Of course, you may be skeptical of aphrodisiacs at the moment. Throughout history, there have always been so-called aphrodisiacs in most every culture. Oysters, for instance, come to mind.
An interesting mashup of animal parts that have been used historically to raise libido in men. And most, if not all of them, don’t taste as good as they purportedly do for you.
Regardless of what you’ve heard at your local health food store, or at the gym, there is a libido-boosting plant that is definitely worth trying: and that is maca.
Let’s see the reasons why.
What is Maca?
Lepidium meyenii, is a plant of the cruciferous family that includes brussels sprouts and kale, known for its adaptogenic properties or its ability to help the body easily cope with stress.
Maca is also known in other places as Peruvian ginseng largely in part due to the fact that it is grown in the Andes mountains, and has seen historical use as a medicinal plant by the ancient Incan civilization.
Most medicines and supplements are made from its root, which can be yellow, red, white, or even black and looks somewhat like a turnip or a radish.
That said, what does maca actually have to offer apart from its status as an ancient tonic and libido-booster? Well, as we will discuss, there’s a lot of possibilities.
Fast facts about Maca
- Maca is related to cruciferous vegetables like brussels sprouts and kale, and used in Incan traditional medicine.
- Many of its health benefits have not yet been thoroughly studied, which is why more research is required in order to test the hypothesis that it is true for the majority of the population.
- Maca is thought to promote aspects of fertility, such as increasing sperm motility, or boosting libido in both men and women.
- This herbal supplement does not seem to affect testosterone levels; however, it has been shown to act in a similar fashion as estrogen does in the body, which means that certain women should avoid using this product.
- Maca has a delicious nutty taste that is almost like caramel, which makes it a breeze to incorporate in your daily diet as an ingredient you can safely add to lattes and smoothies.
What are the primary health benefits of maca?
Regardless of the claims you may have already heard, the truth of the matter is that maca has not conclusively shown that it can help you build more muscle, while its cognitive and prostate health benefits have only been tested on animals.
Now that we’ve discussed what maca is not, let’s discuss what we do know conclusively about it and how it affects the human physiology.
Maca may boost libido
This product has traditionally been known as an aphrodisiac. And science comprehensively supports this practice. Herbal supplements successfully increased male sexual drive after 8 weeks in one clinical study.
The researchers suggested that the subjects take tests to assess the degree of their anxiety, and also tested the level of testosterone and estrogen throughout the study. They found that Maca increased sexual desire, regardless of other factors that could affect libido.
Not only men can benefit from a medicinal plant. An analysis in which 4 clinical trials were examined showed that maca supplementation increased libido in studies involving adult men and women.
Also, one study found that supplementation with maca significantly helped men with erectile dysfunction.
Despite all the studies, the Comprehensive Database of Natural Medicines does not recognize maca as an effective treatment for sexual activity, erectile dysfunction, or low sexual desire.
Maca is rich in carbohydrates, the main source of energy for the body, and especially the brain and muscles. As the researchers suggest, this medicinal herb can help boost energy in addition to replenishing glycogen stores.
Animal studies have shown that maca can lower the level of lactic acid in the muscles and restore the acid balance that is changed after exercise.
One small study was conducted in humans. Researchers gave the prepared Maca extract to male cyclists for 2 weeks and found that at the end of this period they could overcome the 40-km distance much faster than before taking the supplements.
However, these data did not differ significantly from the placebo group. At the same time, athletes who used maca have noted an increase in sexual desire. More work needs to be done to find out if the results found in the studies are reliable.
Maca may boost male reproductive health
Maca root can be beneficial for people with various types of sexual dysfunction. One study in healthy men showed that maca has improved sperm concentration and motility, although the level of hormones in the blood has not been increased.
Many other clinical trials have shown similar results. Another study confirmed that although hormone levels did not change, sperm motility, sperm volume, sperm count for ejaculation, and motile sperm increased in participants after four months of supplementation with maca.
It was found out that maca had an effect on increasing fertility without having any knock-on effect on testosterone levels.
Analysis of all available studies has shown that although the results of some clinical trials have a lot of potential, and indicate that maca can improve sperm quality, all of these studies were limited in time and quantity, so additional studies are needed to confirm previous findings.
Maca helps improve overall health during menopause
Maca powder can be used to effectively treat menopausal symptoms. Experimental studies have examined the effect of this herbal supplement on the physical and mental symptoms of this phenomenon in the female body.
The study showed that 3 g of poppy per day for 1.5 months slightly reduced psychological symptoms, including depression and anxiety, and improved sexual function in women during menopause.
Another study used similar doses of maca during the quarter for participants, which reduced depression and improved blood pressure in women. More research is also needed in this area to confirm that these conclusions are correct.
How is maca consumed?
However, such a judgment is not scientifically substantiated. If you are sensitive to such effects of dietary supplements, you can use maca powder in the morning to eliminate the undesirable effect.
Maca is found in other forms, although they are not so common. You can choose capsules or liquid extracts. Most supplements on the market are made from yellow poppies, and those made from black or red may even have a slightly different effect from the intake.
Another form of release is skincare products. After a series of animal studies, it has been suggested that when applied locally, maca can protect your skin from ultraviolet rays due to its polyphenol content in antioxidants.
In addition to overdrying, ultraviolet radiation also increases the risk of skin cancer. But more work needs to be done to confirm that this protective mechanism does indeed affect people.
Are there any risks associated with taking maca?
At this point in time, the most salient concern about maca is that research on its effects are limited. While maca has been used for practically as far as the Incan civilization has been around, there is a lot of catching up to do on the research side of things.
While clinical trials and animal studies are a good place to start from in this regard, their findings are not conclusive enough to make a solid claim as to its beneficial nature. The same is true for talking about its side effects.
Side effects for maca, like many medicinal plants and herbs before it, are largely anecdotal, and can be said to be tolerable. Some have mentioned increased alertness and “jumpiness” that may disturb sleep patterns.
It must be noted, however, that there is just little science that exists to support the anecdotal evidence.
Regardless, even if maca is accepted to be safe, it’s always a good idea to discuss going on any sort of regimen with your healthcare provider.
