Maca has been a main food and medicine for the natives of the Andes Mountains in Peru for thousands of years. It is a rich source of protein and minerals, including calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium and potassium. Maca has been studied as a treatment for stress and infertility, but there is insufficient information to recommend it for any use. Consult with your doctor before using maca medicinally.
Preparations and Dosing
Maca is also known as Peruvian ginseng and maino. It is a vegetable in the mustard family, related to radishes and turnips, and has an aroma like butterscotch. Maca is available in powder, liquid, tablet and capsule forms. A typical dose of maca is 450 mg in pill form taken three times a day with food. Maca dried root powder in capsules has been tested in doses of 500 to 1,000 mg taken three times for male infertility.
Uses
Maca is best known for possibly enhancing fertility. It may also have other treatment uses, including for sexual problems caused by antidepressant medications, osteoporosis, high cholesterol, diabetes, enlargement of the prostate and menopausal symptoms such as depression and sexual dysfunction. Some people use maca as an everyday tonic to maintain overall health and to enhance mental alertness and physical energy. Always consult your doctor before using maca to treat any condition.
Effectiveness
Preliminary research suggests that maca can increase libido in healthy men. A study published in "Andrologia" in 2002 showed that maca improved sexual desire in men without affecting levels of sex hormones. Another study, published in the "Asian Journal of Andrology" in 2001, demonstrated that healthy men who took maca had increased semen volume, sperm counts and enhanced sperm motility. Other studies support that maca may alleviate the bad effects of stress on the body.
Considerations
According to Drugs.com, maca is generally safe and well tolerated with no major side effects being reported from taking supplemental maca. However, eating large amounts of maca may cause gas, says the DrugDigest website. As maca is in the mustard family of plants, it may cause goiter or swollen thyroid gland with reduced activity if taken in large amounts in combination with a low-iodine diet. You should avoid maca if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
References
- DrugDigest: Maca
- Palo Alto Medical Foundation: Maca
- Drugs.com: Maca
- "Andrologia"; Effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men; GF Gonzales, et al.; December 2002
- "Asian Journal of Andrology"; Lepidium meyenii (maca) improved semen parameters in adult men; GF Gonzales, et al.; December 2001
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