Maca is a plant that grows high in the Andes mountains of Peru and Bolivia.
This plant is also commonly called Peruvian ginseng, maca-maca, and maino.
Maca was traditionally used as a food source by native populations in Peru. It is now used as a dietary supplement and research shows that it helps support brain function and sexual health.
In this article, we will look at the health benefits of maca, its safety, and, its history.
Table of Contents
What is Maca?
Maca is known scientifically as Lepidium meyenii, it’s part of the Brassicaceae (i.e. cabbage) family of plants.
Maca root has been cultivated for at least 2,000 years by traditional peoples living in the Andes mountains. As a plant, it grows in high-altitude regions characterized by rocky formations, intense sunlight, strong winds, and extreme weather conditions.
It’s thought that maca is a secondary adaptogen, which means it has the ability to help your body acclimate to stress.
There are three primary varieties of maca and these include:
- yellow maca
- red maca
- and black maca
Each of these types of maca has a unique chemical profile and slightly different benefits for the human body.
Traditionally maca root was eaten as a food. It has a unique flavor and an aroma similar to caramel.
Modern research indicates that maca root may be helpful for improving sexual function, memory enhancement, anti-inflammatory effects, and skin protection. We’ll look more into these maca benefits below.
Types of Maca:
Different colored maca contains different phytochemicals, which provide different benefits. Below is a quick overview of the main types of maca:
Yellow Maca:
Yellow maca consists of around 60% of all maca harvested in Peru. It’s the most widely used and researched form among all maca products. Yellow maca is said to help increase energy, improve concentration, and balance hormones.
Red Maca:
Red maca accounts for about 25% of the annual harvest in Peru. It’s the sweetest and highest in phytochemical levels among all maca powders. Red maca is known as the most effective type of maca for women because it has hormonal balancing effects as well as helping support bone health.
Black Maca:
Black maca is the rarest of all maca types, it accounts for about 15% of the annual harvest. Studies have shown that black maca is the most effective form for men, especially for muscle gain, endurance, mental focus, and libido.
Health Benefits of Maca:
There are many purported benefits of maca. The top research-backed benefits of maca are listed below.
1. May Support Sexual Function
Clinical research, as well as traditional usage, indicate that maca is helpful for increasing libido and sexual function. These benefits are similar to other herbs such as tongkat ali and cistanche.
A 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study found that maca helped to improve sexual desire in men. In this study, men between the ages of 21-56 years received maca in one of two doses: 1,500mg or 3,000mg or placebo. At the start of the study, the participants establish a baseline level of sexual desire, as well as anxiety and depression levels. The participants re-scored themselves after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. An improvement in sexual desire was observed in the maca group after 8 weeks of treatment.
Interestingly enough, the researchers found that serum testosterone levels were not different in men treated with maca and in those treated with placebo. This indicates that maca is able to improve libido without influencing testosterone production.
A human clinical trial involving 45 women with antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction found that a 3g dose of maca helped to improve libido. The researchers noted that the maca was well tolerated and that a 3g dose was better than a 1.5g dose.
A placebo-controlled clinical trial found that maca helped to lower measures of sexual dysfunction in women. It was also found to decrease anxiety and depression scores. Interestingly enough, maca was not found to impact sex hormone production, which indicates that it works via a different mechanism of action than originally thought.
Another clinical trial looked at the libido-enhancing benefits of maca. A total of 175 participants were given 3g of either placebo, black maca, or red maca extract daily for 12 weeks. The researchers found that consumption of red and black maca resulted in improvement in mood, energy, and overall health status. Effects on mood, energy, and CMS score were better with red maca. Black maca reduced blood glucose levels. It was noted that both types of maca were well-tolerated and safe.
Summary:
A variety of human clinical trials indicates that maca works to increase sexual desire in both males and females. It should be noted that maca does not appear to increase testosterone levels. More research is needed to verify the mechanism of action.
2. May Increase Energy & Physical Performance
Maca may help to increase energy and stamina.
A clinical trial was conducted to determine the benefits of maca for athletes. The physical performance of the athletes increased by 10.3% on average, and the maximum value for the increase in oxygen consumption was 33.6%. Based on the results, it is believed that maca provides a physical improvement not only in athletes but everyone.
A placebo-controlled study found that maca increased self-reported energy levels in healthy men.
A small-scale pilot study showed that taking maca over a 14-day period helped to improve performance in a bike time trial. It should be noted that the placebo group had a similar increase in performance after re-testing the time trial.
Summary:
Initial studies show that maca may help to increase physical stamina and energy. Large-scale studies are needed to verify these findings.
3. Neuroprotective Properties
Various animal and lab-based studies have indicated that maca may have neuroprotective health benefits (such as the herb cat’s claw).
An animal study found that maca extract improved cognitive function, motor coordination, and endurance capacity in middle-aged mice. The researchers also found that these benefits were accompanied by increased mitochondrial respiratory function and upregulation of autophagy-related proteins in the brain cortex.
Another animal study found that black maca helped to reduce memory impairment in mice. It’s thought that this was due to black maca’s antioxidant properties.
A lab-based study found that maca root extract has the ability to protect neurons. The researchers attributed maca’s neuroprotective effects to its anti-inflammatory, neurotrophic, and synaptic protection properties.
One other test-tube study found that maca had a protective action on brain neuron cells.
Summary:
A combination of animal and lab-based studies show that maca has a protective effect on the brain. Human clinical trials are needed to verify these findings.
4. May Benefit Skin Health
Animal-based studies indicate that maca may be helpful for protecting against UV radiation.
An animal study found that yellow maca extract helped to protect the skin of mice against harmful UV rays.
Another study looked at the skin protective effects of maca leaves. The three varieties of maca leaves prevented the development of sunburn cells, epidermal hyperplasia, leukocytic infiltration, and other alterations produced by UVB radiation. The researchers attributed these benefits for skin health to th