Maca is a root vegetable that is used in traditional herbal medicine for improving sex drive and fertility. Derived from the Lepidium meyenii, or L. peruvianum, plant species, maca is used for the properties in its root. You might take maca root for a variety of health purposes. No known drug interactions exist regarding maca root, but little scientific research is available to confirm the remedy's ultimate safety. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before taking maca to discuss the potential health dangers.
History
For thousands of years, the Incas and people of the Andes Mountains in Peru have used maca root as a food and medicinal remedy, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Maca root was often taken to improve fertility and sex drive, as well as physical endurance and strength. Maca has been called "Peruvian ginseng," because the remedy offered some similar effects, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Function
Maca contains glucosinolates that hydrolyze into aromatic isothiocyanates, which appear to give the remedy its actions in improving fertility, explains the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Maca's purported aphrodisiac functions might be due to its sterols, prostaglandins and fatty acid amides, which seem to boost sexual performance without affecting any male or female sex-hormone levels. Despite its absent effects on sex hormones like testosterone, maca root seems to increase sperm counts and motility, as well as semen volume, notes the University of Michigan Health System.
Effects
Like maca root's traditional medicinal uses, today it's also used to treat sexual dysfunction in men, both to treat low sex drive and male infertility, says the University of Michigan Health System. Maca may also help in treating sexual dysfunction and infertility in women. Maca root could provide certain health benefits if you have benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis or fatigue, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Maca could act as an "adaptogen" to help your body cope with the effects of stress as well. Additionally, maca may have the potential to help treat menopausal symptoms, improve physical strength and stamina, and support cancer treatments, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. No widely-accepted, conclusive medical research supports the use of maca root for any health purpose, however.
Interactions
There are no known drug interactions associated with taking maca root, says the University of Michigan Health System. But this doesn't mean that maca won't interact negatively with certain medications or supplements. Keep in mind that no safety testing has been performed on maca as a medicinal remedy, so many of its potential health risks are unknown, warns the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Before you begin taking maca for any purpose, talk with your doctor about other medications or supplements you're taking and how they might potentially interact with maca root.
Warning
There are no known adverse effects from taking maca root, but again no safety testing has been conducted, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Use special caution with taking maca root if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have liver or kidney disease. One potential health danger from maca root may occur due to the remedy's high content of glucosinolates, which have caused goiters in people who consume a low-iodine diet, warns the University of Michigan Health System. Discuss these and other possible health risks with your physician before you begin taking maca root.
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