Maca
Discover The Power of Maca Root
What Is Maca?
Maca, with the scientific name Lepidium Meyenii, is a root plant that is eaten for its medicinal
benefits. This tuberous plant grows in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia and Peru about 3,000 to 4,000 meters above
sea level. It is the only plant that can survive the extreme weather conditions at this altitude where the
temperatures are extremely hot during the day and freezing cold at night. The soil in this place has huge amounts
of minerals and is the reason for this plant’s high nutritional values and essential elements. It is rich in
essential nutrients like iodine and iron as well as sugars, starches and protein. They also call it “Peruvian
ginseng” because of its ability to strengthen sexual function and increase stamina. The plant’s fleshy hypocotyl
(the part in between the first leaf and the root of the young plant) is eaten as a root vegetable and used as a
medicinal herb.
Benefits of Maca
There are some scientific studies that tested the medicinal effects of Maca and a number of researchers have
suggested that it has certain health benefits. Some of the most popular benefits Maca are the following:
• It will enhance your energy
• It will boost your stamina
• It will improve your sexual functions
• It will enhance your fertility
• It will increase your immune response to tuberculosis, anemia, stomach cancer, sterility, menopause symptoms,
menstrual disorders, etc.
• It will enhance your memory
• It will enhance your mental focus and clarity
• It will help ease menopause symptoms in women
• It will alleviate female hormonal imbalance
• It will give relief to chronic fatigue syndrome
• It can help relieve your anxiety and stress
• and so forth
Standard Dosage of Maca
There are different dosages of Maca for different health conditions. The important thing in taking Maca is to
start small and work up the dosage. But once you started taking this nutrient, you have to keep it up in order to
get the best results. For preventive care, it is recommended that you start taking 1 teaspoon of Maca per day for
one week. After you’ve grown accustomed to the taste, you can increase it to 2 teaspoons for another week. Later
increase it to 3 teaspoons and stay on that course. It is possible to take it all at once, but it is probably wiser
if you can distribute your 3 teaspoons of Maca throughout the day. You can either take it with food or not because
it really does not make any difference.
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Side Effects of Maca
Most researches and tests showed no adverse side effects of taking this nutrient if taken in
proper dosages. Over dosage however have some deleterious effects like over hyper activity in men
if used as an enhancer for sexual function. Increased amounts will also cause insomnia since Maca
activates the body with increased stamina. Other side effects are also observed when proper
recommended dosages are not strictly observed. In all of these however, it should be noted that
Maca, when taken judiciously will not cause undue harm to the user.
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Medicinal Uses of Maca
Maca is not a medicine but a powerful herb that has high-grade nutrients that possess medicinal properties. It
has a number of good effects on women who are suffering from the symptoms of menopause such as:
• relief from hot flashes
• relief from vaginal dryness
• relief from crawling itchiness of the skin
• relief from heart palpitations
• relief from indigestion and gas pains
• relief from tenderness and soreness of the breast.
Aside from its common benefits, men can also get the following medicinal benefits from Maca:
• It enhances libido and increase virility
• It increases sperm production as shown by several studies
• It induces the production of testosterone even into old age.
At present, there is no sufficient amount of scientific research done on Maca as far as treatment for health
conditions are concerned. To be safe, consult your health provider when using Maca in large dosages. As a
nutritional supplement however, this substance will surely increase your immunity to disease and enhance your
overall health.
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