All about the Maca root and its products

What is Maca?

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is the root of a cress species that originates from the Andes of Peru. Here it is cultivated at up to 4400 meters and thus defies all weather conditions. Whether it is exposed to enormous sunlight, strong gusts of wind or drought, the Maca plant is very robust and can withstand a lot.

It has about 20 cm large leaves, flowers and a root, which is full of vitamins and minerals. In Peru itself, the Maca plant has been known as a medicinal plant for about 2000 years and is still considered a staple food there. It is either cooked, dried or consumed as a powder, which can be brewed as a drink or eaten as a pudding. It is also fed to animals.

The tuber of the maca plant provides valuable ingredients to the body. It consists of approximately:

65 % carbohydrates
15 % proteins
9 % dietary fiber
2,5 % fats
4 % minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, sulfur, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium
Secondary plant substances
Amino acids.

In Europe, Maca is known as a light powder or capsules, which consist of the ground tuber. Maca is also called a superfood, because it covers a wide range of applications and can help against a variety of ailments.

Maca is used in these areas

The Maca plant or the processed powder of Maca is a traditional medicinal plant and is used in many different areas. It has always been said to have a healing and medicinal effect. This is not really proven, but there are numerous studies that explore the effect of the Maca plant, especially in the field of fertility and potency enhancement.

Maca is used in these areas:

In naturopathy
As a potency enhancer
In case of unfulfilled desire to have children
To support menopause
To enhance the performance of athletes and brain power.

Advantages of the use of Maca

Taking the Maca root or Maca powder is not only considered particularly beneficial in the Andes. Also with us in Europe a multiplicity of advantages is in the meantime well-known and gladly seen. Thus, the root offers an amazing number of benefits in areas that can improve daily life. At a glance, Maca offers the following positive properties:

Increases fertility, libido and potency.
Favors sexual desire during and after menopause
Can improve sperm quality
Has a balancing effect on hormonal balance
Prevents chronic fatigue
Works against memory loss
Helps with depression and anxiety disorders
May relieve arthritic conditions such as rheumatism
Supports respiratory diseases
May relieve stress
May lower cholesterol
May provide for healthy digestion.

The (correct) use of Maca

The Peruvians themselves use the Maca plant and especially its tuber as a staple food and integrate it into their daily diet. There the tuber of the Maca is consumed like with us the potato. But also there it is popular and appreciated as a medicinal plant and is thus processed into tea, as powder, roasted, cooked, as porridge, pudding or as flour. Maca is consumed by the indigenous peoples of the Andes up to three times a day.

Here in Europe, Maca is mostly available as a powder or in capsule form. Unfortunately, you won't find Maca as a tuber in our supermarkets. But even in capsules, depending on the quality, there is enough valuable Maca powder to be able to follow a correct dosage without any problems. The powder can be boiled with water or milk and taken as a drink.

Also mixed under smoothies, in fruit salads, in porridge or as a topping on dinner you can integrate the Maca powder in your diet. There is no general recommendation on the correct dosage of the powder or capsules. This depends on the health condition as well as the general condition, the application area and the complaints of a person. Thus, the standard dose is between 5 and 40 grams of powder. It is also recommended to keep the dose low at first and increase it gradually.

Side effects and overdose of Maca

The Maca plant, its root as well as the powder obtained from it are very well tolerated, provided they are consumed in their natural state. All in all, it is a safe food with few side effects.

Only too high a dosage could lead to side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain or vomiting in rare cases and unfavorable conditions. It is also not known to interact with other medications or herbal substances. However, as always, it is advisable to discuss the intake and proper dosage of Maca products with a doctor beforehand.

Alternatives to Maca

Maca is relatively unique in its complex coverage of a wide range of applications and its benefits.

Similar benefits especially in the field of sports, can be achieved with ginseng. On the one hand, it acts against fatigue and prevents stress. Otherwise, if you want to achieve the hormone-balancing effect of Maca root, the alternative of synthetic substances and drugs such as hormone preparations.

The cost of Maca and Maca products

The cost of Maca products depends, as is often the case, on the quality and type of cultivation. Depending on where the Maca powder or capsules come from, you have to invest sometimes more and sometimes less.

In general, however, it can be said that Maca powder in organic quality is available from 17 euros per kilo, but some cost up to 80 euros per kilo.

High-dose Maca capsules should not cost less than 10 euros per 100 capsules. Most jars of 100 to 200 capsules cost between 15 and 22 euros.

Of course, you should check the quality of the product beforehand and prefer to buy high-quality, organically grown Maca products instead of going for the cheapest product. Especially with products from abroad, it is often not clear what they mean by an organic standard. However, since it is a natural product, this is important and should be checked beforehand. It is possible to pay more for high-quality processing, fair cultivation and good quality. However, you should not be ripped off just because it is a so-called superfood.

FAQ- Frequently asked questions about Maca

Is it possible to overdose on Maca?

Maca is well tolerated by most people and can therefore hardly or only very rarely be overdosed. So you don't have to worry too much about an overdose. Nevertheless, it is advisable to adhere to the consumption recommendations on the respective packaging of Maca products or to consult your doctor before taking Maca for the first time.

Can Maca harm?

Maca cannot do any harm. Of course, there are always exceptions, in which one should be rather careful with the intake of Maca. Pregnant women in particular should consult a doctor before taking Maca. In general, however, Maca is not harmful.

When should Maca powder be taken?

There is no specific time of day when you should or should not take Maca. In general, it can be said that the substances of Maca can be better absorbed by the body shortly after a meal than on an empty stomach. You can also take Maca powder at the same time as breakfast and mix it into a shake, cereal or smoothie.

How regularly should Maca be taken?

Maca powder as well as Maca capsules should be taken daily over a longer period of time to notice an effect. Depending on how high the dose is set, it takes a while, sometimes several weeks, until the first benefits become noticeable.

What should one look for when buying?

As mentioned above, there are a few things to look for when buying Maca products. On the one hand, it is important that the Maca powder or capsules come from a cultivation area in which care is taken not to spray the fields and cultivation areas with chemical substances. Organic quality is not always the same as organic quality. For the sake of the environment, it also makes sense not to order Maca products from the other side of the world. There are also reasonably local suppliers from whom Maca can be obtained.

Citation

Rehberg (26.10.22): Maca - Das Superfood aus den Anden. In: Zentrum der Gesundheit. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 06.01.23) https://www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de/krankheiten/maennerkrankheiten/potenzstoerung/maca.

Pfliegl (10.10.2019): Maca und Maca-Pulver: hoher Nährwert und wertvolle Inhaltsstoffe. In: Utopia. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 06.01.23) https://utopia.de/ratgeber/maca-pulver/.

(24.02.2022): Maca – das südamerikanische Superfood. In: Vitamin Epress. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 06.01.23) https://www.vitaminexpress.org/de/maca.

Sprecher (03.04.20): Maca - Kleine Knolle, grosse Wirkung! In: Vitamin Plus. (Zuletzt abgerufen am 06.01.23) https://www.vitaminplus.ch/ratgeber/fruechte-pflanzen/maca-kleine-knolle-grosse-wirkung.