Maca

Maca is a vegetable that has been cultivated as a root crop for at least 2000 years. It has been traditionally used as a food source, to relieve stress, as an aphrodisiac, and for fertility enhancement in males and females.

Recently commercial maca products have gained popularity as dietary supplements with claims of boosting energy, enhancing fertility, balancing hormones, as an aphrodisiac, and enhancing sexual performance.

Soon after the Spanish conquest in South America, the Spaniards discovered their livestock were reproducing poorly in the highlands. The local natives recommended feeding the animals maca and the results were so remarkable that the Spanish chroniclers wrote in-depth reports about the root.

It is also reported that ancient Incan warriors would take maca before going into battle to improve their strength and stamina.

Maca is considered an adaptogen which is defined as a plant or plant material that promotes non-specific benefits to an organism while inducing no negative side effects.


 

Maca has been found to contain many therapeutic compounds.

Uridine    
Malic Acid
Benzoyl derivative
Glucosinolates
Trace elements
Selenium
Magnesium
Calcium
Iron  

1-methlytetrahydro-carboline-3-carboxylic acid
19 amino acids
Fatty acids
Linolenic acid
Palmitic acid
Oleic acid

Studies have shown that maca increases sexual desire and libido while having no effect on the levels of estradiol and testosterone in the body. It has been shown to be chondroprotective by blocking catabolic inflammatory events associated with arthritis and enhancing sustained anabolic activity. 1-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid is reported to exert many activities on the CNS which can promote better mood. Maca alkaloids, steroids, glucosinolates, isothicyanates, and macromides are probably responsible for its aptitude to act as a fertility enhancer, aphrodisiac, adaptogen, immunostimulant, anabolic and to influence hormonal balance. Higher doses of ethanol extracts from maca was shown effective in the prevention of estrogen deficient bone loss.

Sexual Benefits of Maca

In a study on healthy adult males it was shown that maca resulted in increased seminal fluid volume, sperm count per ejaculum, motile sperm count, and sperm motility. This indicated an improved sperm production and motility by mechanisms not related to LH, FSH, PRL, testosterone, and E2.

A separate study on healthy adult males indicated that maca improved sexual desire after 8 weeks of supplementation. This increased libido also did not have any effect on testosterone or estradiol levels.

A animal study using rats showed a reduced prostate size in the male rats treated with maca.

Fifty percent of the U.S. male population have some degree of erectile dysfunction. Maca has shown evidence that it may be helpful for erectile dysfunction by improving penile endothelial L-arginine-nitrous oxide activity.

Other Effects of Maca

Cartilage loss is a hallmark of arthritis and follows activation of catabolic processes concomitant with a disruption of anabolic pathways like IGF-1. Maca along with another ingredient of Might Maca Greens, Cat’s claw, has been shown to be chondroprotective by blocking catabolic inflammatory events associated with arthritis and enhancing sustained anabolic activity.

1-methyltetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid is reported to exert many activities on the CNS which can promote better mood.

Maca alkaloids, steroids, glucosinolates, isothicyanates, and macromides are probably responsible for its aptitude to act as a fertility enhancer, aphrodisiac, adaptogen, immunostimulant, anabolic and to influence hormonal balance.

Higher doses of ethanol extracts from maca was shown effective in the prevention of estrogen deficient bone loss.