Maca root is one the most recent discoveries showing up on line and in health food retailers all over the world. This modest vegetable, isolated in South America for the majority of its long history, has some positive effects on your health. Let’s discover what the latest scientific research states about maca – and evaluate its spot in a well-balanced lifestyle.
What Exactly Is Maca Root?
High on the harsh upland plains blown by the wind of the Peruvian Andes, the maca plant grows where very little else can develop. Intense sun light, cold temperature ranges, and persistent winds result in an improbable environment. However for plenty of years, maca has been a basic meal for the similarly tough people who are living at these wild elevations (10,000-13,000 feet)!
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is in fact a cruciferous vegetable in the same category as broccoli and cabbage. It can come in a range of colors; the most widespread are yellow, red, and black. Comparable in size and shape to a radish or turnip, it doesn’t look that unique. However the Peruvians figured out its nutritional and medicinal worth long ago, making maca one of the authentic superfoods.
Maca, a frequently overlooked superfood, is packed with fiber and protein
Historically, Peruvians turned to maca for anything from boosting energy and stamina to increasing the libido, enhancing memory, and dealing with a variety of other illnesses. Peruvians consume maca root raw, roasted, or boiled just like we eat other greens. It’s also frequently dehydrated and ground into flour for cooking porridge or for baking. Many people consume the root, which grows underground, but also maca leaves are being tossed into salads and are cooked as vegetables.
Maca Root Nutritional Information
Current scientific investigation has revealed that maca’s effects extend well ahead of the Peruvian tale. Many of maca’s healing properties originate from its strong nutritional foundation. Just 100 grams of maca powder contains:
- 70% the NRV of Iron
- 75% the NRV of Potassium
- 42% the NRV of Calcium
- 50% the NRV of Zinc
That 100 grams of maca powder offers all those nutrients at just 280 kilocalories. Just like some other cruciferous greens, the great majority of the maca root’s calories come from carbohydrates. The fat and protein content is exceptionally low (<1g and 11.45g respectively).
Maca also is made up of plant elements, like polyphenols, which are productive in the human body and provide great health benefits.
Maca Root Health Benefits
Maca has been grown for generations, but scientists have taken almost just as long to start researching its health characteristics genuinely.
In a nutshell: it will take a lot more investigation for us to completely comprehend this plant’s true potential.
Here’s a summary of the key benefits that have already been discovered:
Maca Enhances Fertility and Libido
Maca isn't named Peruvian Ginseng without good cause! Of all its helpful attributes, the sexual desire and fertility increasing effects, appear to be the most carefully examined.
Peruvians frequently turned to this plant for these very needs, and the scientific research agrees with this. A review of four clinical trials published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine revealed a positive effect on sexual dysfunction or sexual desire in both healthy menopausal women and men.
An additional study handed participants, all of whom SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, maca and recognized a positive effect on sexual function. The efficacy seemed to have a dose-related benefit. Maca might also help if you’re trying to become pregnant. In a four-month-extended study, researchers gave healthy adult men maca supplements and noted improved seminal volume, sperm count, and sperm motility.
Maca Relieves Menopausal Symptoms in Women
Traditionally in Peru , many women maintain maca provides healing from cramps, hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal signs.
A methodical review published in the journal Maturita searched 17 databases for all randomized clinical trials that compared maca to a placebo for treating menopausal symptoms. The researchers came to the conclusion that larger studies should be done, but in the trials that met their criteria, maca “demonstrated favorable effects” on menopausal symptoms.
The expected effects of menopause can also be emotional. Luckily, maca can be helpful in those situations as well. Researchers gave postmenopausal women maca supplements and, as a result, discovered decreased anxiety, lower depression, and more healthy sexual function.
Maca May Enhance Memory and Learning
Today’s modern life means insane levels of stress and an ageing society. That mix can jeopardize our capability to recall things – or learn new ones.
Maca may help reverse these effects. This plant is in fact regarded as an adaptogen, a specific group of plants, herbs, and other natural compounds that help our bodies deal with stressors. Locals in the Peruvian Andes routinely give maca to school children, as they are convinced it improves scholastic performance. Several empirical animal studies put this theory to the test. Separate group of researchers reviewed the effect of a number of maca varieties on mice and found that maca had many beneficial learning effects. We seriously need some human clinical trials here to validate this, but the research so far has been encouraging.
Maca Improves Energy and Stamina Levels
Whether or not you’re a professional athlete seeking to perform better or merely need to get out of bed in the morning with more energy, maca may provide the boost you’re looking for.
Research published in the Journal of Natural Products divided healthy men into two groups and found the participants who received maca felt more energised than those who only were given a placebo. A study compared two groups of healthy bike riders and found those who took maca extract for 14 days improved their cycling time trial performance. Animal studies observed similar increases in strength.
These results are most likely related to maca’s role as an adaptogen. With a better ability to deal with stressors, we feel more energized and can achieve peak performance.
Maca Reduces Blood Pressure
Maca might also enhance cardiovascular health. One study of healthy men found that maca lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure after 12 weeks of treatment. Some other research took it a little more forward. A comparison of a population that ingested maca on a regular basis and one that didn't found the maca-consuming population had a tendency to have lower systolic blood pressure. There is enough scientific support that persistent stress leads to hypertension. As maca is an adaptogen, it can help us deal with the stressors better - before our blood pressure rises rapidly. Maca is also a reasonable source of potassium, an essential mineral needed to prevent hypertension.
Maca may Reduce the Prostate
As men get older, their prostate glands tend to expand. This effect (known as benign prostatic hyperplasia) is quite frequent. While BPH is theoretically innocuous, it can undoubtedly be bothering.
The greatest obstacle is keep on urinating properly. As the enlarged prostate blocks the tube through which urine flows, older men find themselves waking up a great number of times at night-time to rush to the toilet - only to feel like they never unload their bladder completely.
Maca might assist. A number of studies found that maca reduced the prostate size and weight on rats with BPH. Researchers believe the polyphenols found in the maca might be responsible. Once more, this is a topic where we really need some human trials to be sure. But the evidence so far is extremely interesting.