Maca has also been shown to reduce blood pressure levels and symptoms of depression in postmenopausal women. How many more reasons do you need to add this to your daily routine? Dosage: Take 1 teaspoon, or 3. Dosages used in studies ranged from 3 to 3. Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer who runs the blog Parsnips and Pastries.
Her blog focuses on real food for a balanced life, seasonal recipes, and approachable health advice. Visit her at her blog or on Instagram. The taste of maca root powder, which some people dislike, has been described as earthy and nutty.
Many people add it to their smoothies, oatmeal, and sweet treats. Maca is a medicinal plant that mainly grows high up in the mountains of Peru in harsh conditions. Maca root powder is nutrient dense and is a rich source of several important vitamins and minerals 3.
Maca root is a good source of carbs, is low in fat, and contains a fair amount of fiber. Furthermore, it contains various plant compounds, including glucosinolates and polyphenols 4 , 5 , 6 , 7. Maca root powder is high in carbs and rich in a number of nutrients, including vitamin C, copper, and iron. It also contains many bioactive plant compounds.
Maca has been heavily marketed as being effective at improving sexual desire, and this claim is backed by research 8. A review from that included four randomized clinical studies with a total of participants found evidence that maca improved sexual desire after at least 6 weeks of ingestion 9.
It is important to note, however, that since this study was small, more research is needed to draw conclusions. A recent review summarized the findings of five small studies.
It showed that maca improved semen quality in both infertile and healthy men After consuming maca for 12 weeks, researchers detected an improvement in the concentration of semen, but the size, shape, volume, count, and mobility of the sperm were not significantly changed Maca can help increase sperm concentratioin and improve sperm quality, potentially enhancing fertility in men. The natural decline in estrogen that occurs during this time can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms.
Some studies in menopausal women found that maca helped alleviate menopausal symptoms , including hot flashes and interrupted sleep 10 , Additionally, animal studies suggest that maca can help protect bone health. Women have a higher risk of osteoporosis after menopause 12 , 13 , 14 , Maca contains plant compounds called flavonoids, which have been suggested to be at least partly responsible for these psychological benefits Maca may improve your mental well-being and mood by reducing depression and anxiety, especially in menopausal women.
It has been claimed to help gain muscle, increase strength, boost energy, and improve exercise performance. Also, some animal studies indicate that it enhances endurance performance 18 , 19 , 20 , Moreover, one small pilot study in eight male cyclists found that they improved the time it took them to complete a nearly mile km bike ride after 14 days of supplementing with maca extract Acording A Pilot Investigation Into the Effect of Maca Supplementation on Physical Activity and Sexual Desire in Sportsmen study c , an significantly improved the self-rated sexual desire score was observed with 2 weeks Maca extract supplementation.
According Maca Reduces Blood Pressure and Depression, in a Pilot Study in Postmenopausal Women study d , significant decreases in diastolic blood pressure and depression were apparent after Maca powder treatment for 6 weeks. That said, they were also all double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomized, and each one showed the same pattern of results: maca increased libido. Add in a study showing that both 1. Researchers have measured testosterone and estrogen levels of people taking maca and found no changes, even when the participants reported increased libido.
Here are a couple potential side effects and how to avoid them. Maca root gets moldy. Traditionally, Peruvians dry maca root and crush it into a powder. The trouble is that maca often grows mold during the drying process, and the resulting powder often contains aflatoxin, a potent carcinogen. Maca was on the drawing board as a Bulletproof product for a while, but it was difficult to find a pure source; even the highest quality maca root contained about 13 ppb aflatoxin.
If you buy maca, get it from a high-end brand, and if you take it and you feel sick or foggy afterward, consider that your discomfort could be due to a moldy batch and not maca root itself. And like other cruciferous veggies, maca contains goitrogens, anti-nutrients that disrupt thyroid hormones. There are two ways to reduce goitrogens in maca root. That means you should always cook your maca and your cauliflower, kale, cabbage, etc. If you find maca root whole, you can bake or boil it and then make it into a mash, the way you would prepare potatoes.
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