Maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacón) originates from a root plant found in high altitude areas of the Peruvian Andes. It is sometimes called “the Superfood of the Andes,” because of its ability to rebuild weak immune systems and increase energy and endurance. It also has been labelled “Peruvian ginseng” because of its reported positive effects on stamina and sexual function.
Maca’s root is used as a medicinal herb and has rare health benefits. For 2,000 years, it has been an important element of the local diet in Peru and Bolivia. In Peru, maca is cooked and used in food preparation. Almost every part of the plant is utilized. The roots of maca are boiled into a sweet liquid or porridge, maca is fermented into a beer, and the leaves are often eaten raw. During the Spanish colonization period, maca was so highly regarded that it was used as a form of currency. Legend also has it that it was used by the Incas to increase their strength prior to battle. Maca increases stamina and strength, so these stories about Incan warriors consuming maca are quite credible.
Maca has a high nutritional content and is sometimes likened to a grain or rice product. It typically contains 10% protein, 60% carbohydrates, and 9% fibre. It also has a high concentration of vital minerals, namely selenium, calcium, magnesium and iron. The hypocotul root of the maca plant contains a large number of naturally occurring phyto-chemicals. Maca also contains oleic and linoleic fatty acids which are essential to the body.
Maca is acclaimed for a variety of unique properties. It is beneficial for sexual function due to its high concentration of proteins and vital nutrients. It also may have aphrodisiac properties. Since maca has been consumed as food for centuries, there is minimal risk of consumption. The array of nutrients within maca improves the body’s overall function. This includes the function of the brain, for example helping people cope with depression. Many people report that the 60 phyto-chemicals in maca are so beneficial that they can feel their energy increase and their mood improve immediately. Maca is also used by many athletes for its ability to increase stamina and endurance. It is a common alternative to coffee, as it provides an energy boost without caffeine.
Maca strengthens the immune system and as a result, has a variety of anti-ageing properties. It provides a level of defence against the oxidative damage that occurs from the daily stresses of life. Maca also reportedly improves memory and learning. These are elements that may decrease with age. Maca retains and enhances mental function. Since the nutrients within maca help to improve circulation, it also has positive effects on the skin. Maca reportedly improves the look of the skin, and many people who consume maca report it gives them a “youthful glow.”
Maca has a wide variety of applications towards fighting illness and dysfunction in the body. It improves sexual function in both men and women, and regulates hormones. This property has a number of important applications. Maca can fix hormonal imbalances that cause infertility and sexual dysfunction. Studies show maca improves both sperm count and quality, and also helps women with infertility issues. As maca improves the circulatory system, many have found their wounds heal faster when taking this supplement. Also maca is commonly used to treat anaemia, rickets, and some forms of cancer, including stomach cancer.
Women going through menopause have recently tried maca, and shown extremely positive results. Maca is now frequently administered as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy or herbs (like black cohosh) that are given to women going through menopause. Maca works by maintaining balance in hormones during menopause. It provides optimal function for the hypothalamus and pituitary glands and helps the endocrine glands restore optimal function.
Maca is considered by researchers to be a true adaptogen. Adaptogens rebuild and strengthen the immune system and enhance the body’s ability to fight illness. Adaptogens also restore balance to the body and improve the system of the human organism. Maca is reported by doctors and researches to be a great natural way to support the health of our endocrine system. The nutritional breakdown in Maca fuels the body’s endrocrine system and regulates glandular hormone production. When the endocrine system is not functioning well, it can cause a wide variety of health problems.
Studies have shown Maca to improve semen quality and sexual desire. In one often cited article published in the Asian Journal of Andrology in 2001, nine men were given maca tablets for 4 months. The maca increased their sperm volume, sperm count and mobility. This is the seminal study that is referred to indicating the ability of maca to improve male sexual health.
Gloria Chacon de Popovici, PhD, a biologist in SA has done a tremendous amount of research on Maca. Dr. Popovici has done studies with rats in which she established that the alkaloids in maca produced fertility effects on rat ovaries and testicles. This research made the case that it is the akaloids themselves that have this positive effect, and not the plant hormones in maca merely impacting the body. The application of Dr. Popovici’s research is that maca can have positive effects on the sexual organs of both men and women because the alkaloids in maca act on the functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary gland.
