Maca

(Lepidium meyenii)

Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Lepidium
Species: meyenii
Synonyms: Lepidium peruvianum, L weddellii, L. affine, L. gelidum
Common Names: Maca, Peruvian ginseng, maka, mace, maca-maca, maino, ayak chichira, ayuk willku, pepperweed
Phytochemicals: Alkaloids, Amino Acids, Beta-ecdysone, Carbohydrates, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, Phosphorus, Protien, Saponins, Stigmasterol, Sitosterol, Tannins, Zinc, Vit B1, Vit B2, Vit B12, Vit C, Vit E
Part Used: Root

HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS

Main Actions: is nutritious increases energy balances body systems

Other Actions: increases fertility

Standard Dosage: Root. Powder: 1 tablespoon; Capsules: 5 g twice daily

Maca is a hardy perennial plant cultivated high in the Andes Mountains, at altitudes from 8,000 to 14,500 feet. It has one of the highest frost tolerances among native cultivated species. The part used is the tuberous root, which looks likes a large radish (up to 8 cm in diameter) which is usually off-white to yellow in color. Unlike many other tuberous plants, maca is propagated by seed. Although it is a perennial, it is grown as an annual; seven to nine months is required to produce the harvested roots.

The area where maca is found, high in the Andes, is an inhospitable region of intense sunlight, violent winds, and below-freezing weather. With its extreme temperatures and poor, rocky soil, the area rates among the world's worst farmland; yet, over the centuries, maca has evolved to flourish under these conditions. Maca was domesticated about 2,000 years ago by the Incas, and primitive cultivars of maca have been found in archaeological sites dating as far back as 1600 B.C.

The nutritional value of dried maca root is high, resembling those of cereal grains such as maize, rice, and wheat. It contains 60-75% carbohydrates, 10-14% protein, 8.5% fiber, and 2.2% lipids. The protein content of maca exists mainly in the form of polypeptides and amino acids (including significant amounts of arginine, serine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and threonine). It also has about 250 mg of calcium, 2 g of potassium, and 15 mg of iron in 100 g of dried root-and important amounts of fatty acids (including linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acids). Maca contains sterols (about 0.05% to 0.1%) and other vitamins and minerals. In addition to its rich supply of essential nutrients, maca contains alkaloids, tannins, and saponins.

Nutritional Profile of Dried Maca Root                                           (Average 10 gram serving)

Component per 10 g	Protein 1–1.4 g Carbohydrates 6–7.5 g Fats (lipids) 220 mg Fiber 850 mg Ash 490 mg Sterols 5–10 mg Calories 32.5
Vitamins per 10 g	B2 39 mcg B6 114 mcg C 28.6 mg Niacin 565 mcg
Amino Acids per 10 g	Alanine 63.1 mg Arginine 99.4 mg Aspartic acid 91.7 mg Glutamic acid 156.5 mg Glycine 68.3 mg Histidine 41.9 mg HO-Proline 26.0 mg Isoleucine 47.4 mg Leucine 91.0 mg Lysine 54.5 mg Methionine 28.0 mg Phenylalanine 55.3 mg Proline 0.5 mg Sarcosine 0.7 mg Serine 50.4 mg Threonine 33.1 mg Tryptophan 4.9 mg Tyrosine 30.6 mg Valine 79.3 mg
Minerals per 10 g	Calcium 25 mg Copper 0.6 mg Iron 1.5 mg Iodine 52 mcg Manganese 80 mcg Potassium 205 mg Sodium 1.9 mg Zinc 380 mcg
Fats/ lipids per 10g	Linoleic 72 mcg Palmitic 52 mcg Oleic 24.5 mcg

Maca's fertility-enhancing properties were reported as early as 1961, when researchers discovered that it increased fertility in rats. Marketing and resulting sales of maca for sexual function has been fueled by clinical research since. The majority of this research, however, has been performed or funded by two main marketers of maca products in the U.S. and abroad. Also suspect to the independent scientific community are studies that "measure libido enhancement" - these are known to be highly subjective.

The first study reporting maca's effect on sexual function was published in 2000 (and performed by a marketer of maca) and described the beneficial effects of using maca in impotent mice and rats. Another, published a year later, indicated similar effects in male rats. Studies in 2001 reported a beneficial effect on male sperm production in rats and improvement of sperm count and motility in nine healthy adult men. In 2002 a study reported improved sexual performance in inexperienced male rats; another "self-perception on sexual desire" test in healthy men reported aphrodisiac or libido enhancement effects. In several of the rat and mice studies, the animals were administered up to 4 g per kg of body weight of a "concentrated maca extract" to achieve the reported results. This would (approximately) equate to a 300 g (10 oz.) dose for an average (170 lb.) man. None of these studies, however, indicated a possible mechanism of action - or related these observed effects to constituents or chemicals contained in maca root.

It may well be that maca's beneficial effects for sexual function and fertility can be explained simply by its high concentration of proteins and vital nutrients. Dried maca root contains about 10% protein - mostly derived from amino acids. Amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) are required in the diet to drive many cellular functions in the body - including sexual and fertility functions. Amino acids are required to manufacture neurotransmitters such as dopamine and noradrenaline. These substances transmit signals in the nervous system and play a major role in the process of sexual arousal and physical performance during sex. The main amino acids that these neurotransmitters require include phenylalanine, tyrosine, and histidine (all three of which are found in good supply in maca). The amino acid arginine, of which maca is a significant source, is thought to assist in the generation of nitric oxide-which is thought to counteract male impotence (although this is not clinically validated). Many libido- and sexual-enhancement health supplements on the market today contain arginine for this reason. Arginine has also clinically proven to play a role in male fertility through its action of increasing sperm production and motility. It is highly likely that some of the sexual and fertility effects reported were due to maca's high arginine content.

The amino acid histidine also is found in maca root in high amounts. This amino acid plays an often-overlooked but important role in sexual function: during ejaculation and orgasm. The body utilizes histidine to produce histamine, and histamine in the corpus cavernosum (penile erectile tissue) ultimately is responsible for the way ejaculations happen. Men suffering from premature ejaculation often show increased histamine activity; they may be helped by a simple antihistamine, or the amino acid methionine (which counteracts the formation of histamine from histidine). This is the same mechanism that explains a side effect of prescription antihistamines - aorgasmia (or the inability/difficulty to achieve an orgasm). Conversely, men and women having difficulties achieving orgasms may be helped by histidine supplementation - this may increase histamine levels in the sexual tract, which in turn make orgasms and ejaculations easier. An additional pro-sexual effect of histidine (as well as arginine) may lie in its vasodilating effect, increasing blood flow to the sex organs. Again, the significant, natural histidine content of maca may have played a role in the rat studies reporting a greater number of copulations. But it does make one wonder - is the benefit of additional copulations at the expense of shorter duration and/or premature ejaculation? Surely this subject is best suited for truly independent (and not product-sponsored) research.

Other benefits and anecdotal reports touting maca for hormonal balancing, endocrine and thyroid function enhancement, and even immune system enhancement are likely related to maca's amino acid and nutrient content as well. The marketing claim made that maca actually increases testosterone or sex hormones has been clinically disproved just recently. In a 2003 double-blind placebo human trial, men taking a maca root extract (1.5-3 g daily) evidenced no changes in any reproductive hormonal level tested, including testosterone (which actually showed a slight decrease!).

To the Andean Indians and indigenous peoples, maca is a valuable commodity. Because so little else grows in the region, maca is often traded with communities at lower elevations for such other staples as rice, corn, green vegetables, and beans. The dried roots can be stored for up to seven years. Native Peruvians traditionally have utilized maca since pre-Incan times for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. It is an important staple in the diets of these people, as it has the highest nutritional value of any food crop grown there. It is rich in sugars, protein, starches, and essential nutrients (especially iodine and iron). The tuber or root is consumed fresh or dried. The fresh roots are considered a treat and are baked or roasted in ashes (in the same manner as sweet potatoes). The dried roots are stored and, later, boiled in water or milk to make a porridge. They also are made into a popular sweet, fragrant, fermented drink called maca chicha. In Peru even maca jam, pudding, and sodas are popular. The tuberous roots have a tangy, sweet taste and an aroma similar to that of butterscotch.

This energizing plant is also referred to as Peruvian ginseng (although maca is not in the same family as ginseng).

In Peruvian herbal medicine today, maca is reported to be used as an immunostimulant; for anemia, tuberculosis, menstrual disorders, menopause symptoms, stomach cancer, sterility (and other reproductive and sexual disorders); and to enhance memory. Maca has been growing in world popularity over the last several years due to several large U.S. marketing campaigns touting its energizing, fertility enhancement, hormonal balancing, aphrodisiac, and, especially, enhanced sexual performance properties. Other (anecdotal) herbal medicine uses in the U.S. and abroad include increasing energy, stamina, and endurance in athletes, promoting mental clarity, treating male impotence, and helping with menstrual irregularities, female hormonal imbalances, menopause, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Today, dried maca root is ground to powder and sold in capsules as a food supplement and marketed to increase stamina (sexual and athletic) and fertility.

Make no doubt - maca is a wonderful source of natural vital nutrients. Consumers however, shouldn't expect "miracle cures" with maca - its rather like taking a multi-vitamin supplement.

The new standardized or concentrated extracts of maca available today are concentrating the extracts to the chemicals found only by the companies selling these products and funding the research. These chemicals and their biological effects have yet to be confirmed by independent research. In the absence of true, independent science and research, consumers will be judging the efficacy and benefits of these extracts with money spent for them.

MACA PLANT SUMMARY

Main Preparation Method:	eaten fresh/dried, or in capsules.
Main Actions (in order):	tonic (tones, balances, strengthens overall body functions), nutritive, fertility enhancer, endocrine function support, anti-fatigue
Main Uses:	as a natural source of nutrients (amino acids, minerals, etc.) to support endocrine function to reduce fertility problems (both male and female) to support erectile function as an aphrodisiac
Properties/Actions Documented by Research:	aphrodisiac, fertility enhancer, increases sperm count/motility
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:	hormonal, immunostimulant, stimulant, tonic (tones, balances, strengthens overall body functions)
Traditional Preparation:	In the Andes, as much as a pound of fresh and/or dried maca root is eaten as a food in a single day. In herbal medicine in the U.S., dried maca root tablets, capsules and powders are generally recommended at dosages of 5-20 g daily. The dried root powder (a more economical choice than tablets or capsules) can be stirred into juice, water, or smoothies (2 tsp. of root powder are about 5.5 g). For standardized and concentrated extract products, follow the labeled instructions.
Contraindications:	Large amounts may cause intestinal gas.
Drug Interactions:	None reported

WARNINGS: Information, statements and products on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. The natural properties of the botanicals are only referred to their common uses among folk and herbal traditions. Our products are not intended to diagnose, cure, or prevent any disease as well. It's not meant to give any suggestion of diagnosis or disease treatment. Please see a doctor when needed.