Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant from the highlands of Peru showing promise of being similar to ginseng in improving the activity of multiple organ systems. Maca powder is from a root which grows at the elevation of 4000 to 4500 meters in the Peruvian Andes. Maca is both nutritional and medicinal. Traditional use in Peru has been to improve fertility.
Studies have shown that maca improves learning and memory in mice and is an antidepressant. It is an antioxidant and protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation. In a post-menopausal model in rats, maca improves blood triglyceride levels closer to pre-menopausal levels and may prevent bone loss.
Maca increases sperm counts and sperm motility, without changing testosterone levels. Maca improves sexual activity in men with erectile dysfunction and increases athletic performance and sexual desire. It has been shown to improve prostatic hypertrophy.
Maca is available at Rainbow Grocery in the supplement department as powder and liquid extracts and in the bulk herb department as powder. The powder can be sprinkled on cereals and is tasty when mixed with shakes or yogurt.
CONCLUSION: “The available animal toxicological studies did not indicate severe toxicity from oral intake of cat’s claw preparations…” “Some studies suggest that secondary metabolites found in maca extracts are important constituents responsible for its physiological effects.”
PMID: 16042502.
Summary #440.
References:
Bussman, RW, et al. Traditional Medicinal Plant Use in Northern Peru: Tracking Two Thousand Years of Healing Culture. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2006 Nov 7;2:47. University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA. Summary #351. PMID: 17090303.
Gonzales, GF., et al. Lepidium Meyenii (Maca): A Plant From the Highlands of Peru-From Tradition to Science. Forsch Komplementmed. 2009 Dec;16(6):373-80. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru. Summary #363. PMID: 20090350.
Musicki, B., et al. Endothelial Dysfunction in Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction. International Journal of Impotence Research 2006 Jun 15; (Epub ahead of print.) Johns HopkinsUnviersity, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Summary #138. PMID: 16775612.
Stone, M., et al. A Pilot Investigation into the Effect of Maca Supplementation on Physical Activity and Sexual Desire in Sportsmen. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Dec 10;126 (3):574-6. Epub 2009 Sep. 23. Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE, UK. Summary #368. PMID: 19781622.
Wang, Z., et al. Influence of Lepidium Meyenii Walp on Lipid and Bone Mass in Ovariectomized Rats. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 2009 Jul;38(4): 420-2, 425. Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. Summary #366. PMID: 19689071.
Zenico, T., et al. Subjective Effects of Lepidium Meyenii (Maca) Extract on Well-Being and Sexual Performances in Patients with Mild Erectile Dysfunction: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial. Andrologia. 2009 Apr;41(2):95-9. Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital, Forti, Italy. Summary #367. PMID: 19260845.
