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Maca root / Maca powder
Have you heard about the benefits of maca root or maca powder, but don't know enough about it and don't dare to start? It's easy, because this plant, rich in valuable vitamins and nutrients, is little known and can offer solutions to a wide range of problems. For example, it has great hormone-regulating effects, increases fertility, helps women with menopause, reduces stress, improves immunity, can help with migraines, increases energy, brain function, sharpens memory and even supports sexual function by using it increases libido. All of these benefits are incredible, but they are all true and scientific research has backed them up well.
This article tells you everything you need to know about maca root. We go over all the important factors of maca root and hope reading the full fact sheet will answer all your questions and doubts.
The topics of our articles:
The origin of the Maca root
Scientific knowledge about the effects of Maca root
Positive effects of the Maca root
- Scientific proof of Maca
- increase in fertility
- Increase libido, support sexual function
- For athletes: strengthen muscles, increase energy
- Lose weight with maca powder
- Improving immunity, vitality
- Brain function, memory support (migraine relief)
- reduce stress
Negative Effects of Maca Root
Using Maca Root
How to consume Maca root
The origin of the Maca root
Maca root is known by several names, including Peruvian ginseng or Lepidium meyenii. These names also indicate the origin of the maca root, which is found in the Andes mountains of central Peru in South America.
From a botanical point of view, it belongs to the cruciferous family and is therefore essentially related to well-known vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, radish and cabbage. It grows wild above 4000 meters and is a bulbous plant. Before consumption, it is processed, ie dried and preserved, and in this state it is consumed as maca powder.
The inherent flavor is not that delicate, although similar to walnuts, somewhat sweet but typically more earthy so it is not eaten on its own but mixed into cakes, puddings or various, preferably healthy, dishes such as porridge.
The Incas discovered it as an ancient food of this ancient people and thanks to archaeological research it was even cultivated.
The most common name today probably comes from the Inca language Kechua.
The “ma” means “grown on a mountain” and the “ca” means “strengthening food”. This suggests that it was used as food and for medicinal purposes as early as two thousand years ago.
It is known that the Incas consumed maca powder before going into battle to increase their strength and endurance in battle and that it was also used by the Incas as an aphrodisiac.
It is said that during the Spanish conquests, the animals brought from Europe could not cope with the high mountain climate and their numbers declined, which was eventually offset by the use of Maca root.
Its performance-enhancing properties are known to the natives of Peru, and it is still used today as a powerful sexual enhancer for both men and women.
Scientific evidence for the effects of Maca root
The PubMed database (US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Search database) contains numerous sources that analyze the positive effects of maca root. Biological and medical-scientific publications are collected in this database, so much of the information about maca root that can be found here is scientifically backed. We used this scientific, professional source as the basis for this article.
Maca root has been studied in a variety of ways, so there is accurate information about the type of vitamins it contains. For example the Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, D, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Sodium, Potassium, protein (about 15%), Fibres, amino acids, fatty acids and other unique links like macaen and Macamide.
Of course, the maca root is not a substitute for a varied, vitamin-rich diet and a healthy lifestyle that also includes regular exercise. The positive effects vary from person to person and are not guaranteed, but they are a good starting point for prevention or treatment of a problem, or even as a cure or alternative.
Positive effects of the Maca root
1. hormone regulation (menopause, menstrual disorders)
Maca powder, which is a natural hormone regulator due to its adaptogenic properties, ensures the healthy functioning of both the female and male endocrine systems. This means that Maca root has a balancing effect on our body's vital functions, meaning it has the natural ability to help the body adapt to physical and mental stress. Maca root slows down overactive organs and speeds up underactive organs.
This allows the organs that are not functioning properly to get back to their proper levels, while the herb does not interfere with the work of the healthy organs. This means that the maca powder always works where it is needed most.
For this reason, it has a very good effect on menopausal people, it can help in the complementary treatment of menopausal symptoms, and it can be used to relieve menopause symptoms.
Menstruation and menstrual disorders are also related to hormone balance. As with menopause, maca root has been shown to regulate ovarian function, which can help with the menstrual cramps mentioned above, and can also alleviate or eliminate premenstrual symptoms.
2. increasing fertility
Because maca powder increases blood oxygen levels, it is also used to increase fertility. Maca root is a natural substitute for anabolic steroids, which are the most common performance-enhancing drugs today, but also have many, even irreversible, side effects.
Its positive effects have been proven repeatedly, while its side effects – unlike those of anabolic steroids – are almost non-existent, but we will elaborate on that in another subsection.
In men, maca powder increases sperm production as it affects sperm count, motility and quality, and may also reduce prostate enlargement.
It also has a positive influence on women, as it can support fertility and treat certain forms of infertility thanks to its hormonal balancing effect.
3) Increase libido, support sexual function
As mentioned earlier, this herb was used by the Incas and Peruvian natives to increase male and female sexual function. Studies have shown that men who suffered from mild erectile dysfunction saw significant improvements.
There are several possible causes for these slight problems, e.g. B. a narrowed vascular system in poor condition that cannot supply the penis with the blood it needs, or stress that prevents the muscles from relaxing.
Since maca plant also influences blood oxygen levels, it is a good way to positively influence this type of problem in men with mild erectile dysfunction, and it is also effective against stress.
It is also a natural sexual enhancer which is a great way to support overall sexual health by increasing libido and sexual desire and is a natural aphrodisiac.
4. For athletes: strengthen muscles, increase energy
Fortunately, our compatriots no longer have to go into battle like the Incas, but maca can also have a positive effect on other physical exertions. Maca powder is also able to improve the results of various sports activities, as it affects muscle development and strengthening.
Thanks to its performance-enhancing properties, it is increasingly used by active athletes and bodybuilders, as it allows strengthening and harmonious muscle development without the use of harmful chemicals. Cyclists were tested in a scientific study. Half of the cyclists received maca powder, the other half did not.
Not surprisingly, the cyclists who ingested maca powder were able to endure a lot more. The experiment once again proved that maca powder has great performance-enhancing effects, making it indeed an herb that athletes should consume.
5. lose weight with maca powder
Although maca powder is not fat burning per se, it does promote post-exercise recovery. After exercise, our muscles recover faster, allowing us to exercise more frequently and more efficiently, which means maca powder indirectly contributes to weight loss.
6. improve immunity and vitality
The Maca root is also very good for the immune system because it strengthens and increases its resistance in a natural way. Good immunity, that is, protection against various diseases, is another positive effect of maca root, which can be useful in many life situations. It can also be used to fight a mild cold or as a complementary treatment for more serious illnesses.
The vitality - or vitality - of people with sufficient immunity and energy is logically much better than in people with a weak immune system. This means you can also consume this herb to improve your overall mood. [6]
7. brain function, memory (migraine relief)
Maca root has the ability to increase not only physical but also mental performance. Maca works by protecting brain cells from various types of damage. The older you get, the more you should reap the beneficial effects of maca root because of its power to stimulate brain function. It also improves the cognitive abilities of healthy people who are not yet old enough to be considered elderly and increases their mental capacity. It is also recommended for improving memory and can even help with migraines.
8. Relieve the stress
Stress is a problem for many of us in today's fast-paced world where we cannot adapt to circumstances as quickly as we would like. Because maca powder helps our body adapt thanks to its adaptogenic properties mentioned above, it can also make us more resilient in coping with stress.
The Negative Effects of Maca Root
Consuming the Maca root has no negative effects on the body, neither externally nor internally. However, if you have thyroid problems, you should consult a doctor as the herb contains substances that can interfere with the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Being an adaptogenic plant, it is recommended to take it regularly as its effects are best when taken continuously over a long period of time.
Using Maca Root
There are many uses for this herb. Not only is it sold as a powder, but also as maca tablets or maca root capsules. It's worth checking how much maca root is actually in a given product, as there are many products that contain very little of the herb and other ingredients that have the effects attributed to maca root.
Unfortunately, if there is a change in our problem, it is unlikely to be due to the natural active ingredient in Maca.
It is particularly suspicious when the product promises to be taken just half an hour before the activity and the effects last for days. In such a case, one should suspect that the active ingredient of a drug or other herbal medicine has been added to the product. Maca powder is effective when it is used over a period of time, at least 6-8 weeks, is taken.
As with any unfamiliar food, maca powder should be taken in small doses initially and then gradually increased until the amount specified in the product's package insert is reached. The longer you take maca powder, the better results you can expect, and you don't have to worry about the side effects that can come with prescription drugs.
Ways of taking Maca root
Overdosing on maca powder is virtually impossible as, as mentioned earlier, it has no proven side effects. Of course, it shouldn't be overdosed, it's not normally consumed on its own, but it's a good way to add it to any food or drink that we like.
Maca root is mainly available as a powder, which has a flour-like consistency.
This makes it a great addition to cakes, tarts, scones, bread and scones. It can also be added to muesli and drinks. For example, it can be added to a smoothie made from healthy ingredients to make a really potent and vitamin-packed drink.
Lots of people say that maca root smells and tastes similar to toffee - some say it tastes like nuts and earth. In any case, it is worth adding it to sweet-tasting dishes, be it pudding, rice pudding or oatmeal. There are some very tasty and delicious recipes using maca powder on English language websites.
It can be misleading that a Japanese tea called Maca tea is also called Maca tea, which is the correct term for a very similar tea called Matcha tea. Of course, you can also stir maca root into tea, but for a more subtle flavor, stir it into coffee instead. So there is no name for Tea, but this is how many people call the Japanese matcha tea, which has a characteristic green color.
There are pressed and brewed forms of maca root, but it's best not to brew maca powder as the heat can destroy important components of the plant.
We hope that we have managed to give a comprehensive picture of the various effects and uses of maca root. We also hope that you will quickly find this detailed information, which also includes the results of scientific research, in the large amount of information on the Internet, which is not necessarily authoritative, as we have tried to cover all the areas that you may have encountered before should know how to use maca root.
And if you want to experience the effects of the maca root, you can choose from a range of high-quality maca capsules, maca powder and maca extracts with purely plant-based ingredients in our online shop!