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Article reprinted with permission from: the December, 2000 Issue of Health Suppliment Retailer Maca is a tuberous plant that only grows at the high elevations of the Andes Mountains in South America. There are two species of the perennial plant that have been tested in clinical studies-Lepidium peruvianum and Lepidium meyenii-although their effects on humans have not been studied side by side. The maca plant grows in various colors from black to off-white, including purple and red. The plant grows low to the ground and has small off-white flowers when it blooms. However, the only part of the plant that is used for human and animal consumption is the root, which is round and can grow up to 8 cm in diameter. Domesticated about 2,000 years ago by the Incas, maca is known by many different names-Peruvian ginseng, maka, maca- maca, maino, ayak chichira and ayuk willku. "Peruvian ginseng" is the plant's most common alias, though the maca plant is not a member of the ginseng family. Maca has become a valuable trading commodity to the indigenous people of the region because it is one of the few plants that can live through the intense weather of the mountains, and it is often traded for other staple foods. Maca is part of the staple diet of the region because it is bountiful and is high in nutritional value. The indigenous people have an annual Maca Festival to celebrate the June/July harvest season during which they make and eat maca pies, stews, cookies, cakes, noodles and drinks. Maca is rich in sugars, protein, starches and essential minerals. The plant contains alkaloids, amino acids, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, iodine, magnesium, protein and vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and E. Maca also contains fatty acids, including linolenic, palmitic and oleic acids, tannins and saponins. In addition, a 1981 chemical analysis demonstrated the presence in maca of p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which is a reputed aphrodisiac. Because of maca's high nutritional value, it has been used as an anticarcinogen, although its most popular application is in sexual health and fertility. A recent study, published in Urology (55(4):598-602, 2000), reported maca's effects on the sexuality of mice and rats. Dried maca roots of the species Lepidium meyenii were collected from Peru in 1998 and were dried into two powdered extract formulas, M-01 and M-02. The study recorded the mounting behavior, one day of mating and erectile function of the test animals. To observe the mounting behavior of mice taking maca, 45 male and 90 female mice were studied. They were split into three groups of 15 males and 30 females per group. The first group was a control group, and the second and third groups, called M-0l and M-02, were administered maca twice daily at a dose of 40mg/g body weight for 22 days. On day 22, the male and female mice were introduced and allowed to copulate for three hours. Results showed that the M-O1 and M-02 formulas significantly enhanced the mice's libidos. The number of successful mating attempts for the M-01 group during the three-hour period was 2.9 times higher than the control; the M-02 group was 4.1 times higher than the control group. To assess one day of mating, 20 male mice were divided into two groups. The experimental group received M-0l at a dose of 4g/kg body weight for one day. One hour after feeding, each male was placed in a cage with five females and left for the night. The females were tested the next morning for evidence of mating. The number of sperm-positive females in the experimental group was 2.5 times higher than in the control group, indicating the immediate bioavailability of maca's active ingredients. The effects of maca on erectile function was tested on 90 male rats who were divided into groups of ten. They were fed, per group, M-01 and M-02 at three different doses for three days. In addition, there were three control groups that included normal rats, testes-removed rats and testosterone- treated rats. After 20 days, all rats were tested for erectile function. It was discovered that M-01 and M-02 animals attained full erections more quickly than the control animals. According to the authors, this is the first time a study has demonstrated the sexual enhancement properties of maca. Dr. Gloria Chacon de Popovici, a biological researcher, conducted other studies on Lepidium peruvianum in Peru in 1961, but according to the Urology authors, her results were inconclusive. The authors of this most recent study concluded that more research is necessary to determine maca's effects; especially since testing animals are generally given 10 to 100 times the dose that a human subject would consume.
Maca is used for numerous reasons other than sexual enhancement,
though these uses are not scientifically proven. The Spaniards who
lived in South America in the 1600s used maca to enhance the
fertility of their livestock and wrote reports touting their success
with the endeavor. Currently, many women use maca to enhance their
own fertility. Maca has also been used in folk medicine to enhance
immunity, for anemia, tuberculosis, menstrual disorders, menopause
symptoms, stomach cancer, sterility and other reproductive and sexual
disorders as well as to enhance memory. Maca has also been said to
increase energy, stamina and endurance in athletes, promote mental
clarity and help with female hormone imbalance, including chronic
fatigue syndrome. It is also used as an alternative to anabolic
steroids because of its high content of sterols.
[back to top] Excerpted from the January/February 2000 issue of Neutracuticals World; "Aphrodisiac herb from Peru" Reprinted with permission, Author: Mark J.S. Miller, Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Cardiovascular Sciences at Albany Medical College ". . . There is a strong likelihood that another South American product, maca, will lead the charge in drawing attention to this frontier. Maca is the highest altitude-cultivated crop in the world. Related to the turnip, it is the only native cruciferous vegetable of the Americas. Maca has been used to enhance vitality among the indigenous cultures of the Andes for over 5800 years. At an altitude of 14,500 feet above sea level, just existing is an accomplishment. To put it in perspective, light planes that are not pressurized cannot legally fly above 10,000 feet and yet maca is grown nearly another mile into the atmosphere. "But is energy and vitality the reason for the interest in Maca? Perhaps, but of greater interest is its ability to promote sexual function and fertility. Remarkably, the consumption of this vegetable has been shown to prevent the compromises in fertility that one encounters at high altitude and it works in males and females. Who would have thought that a vegetable could raise sperm counts and semen volumes and prevent fetal growth restriction and miscarriages? Anyone experienced in marketing knows that sex sells, and a turnip that turns you on, well, you gotta have it!
"So, oddly, the next frontier of herbal medicines in South
America may not originate in the rainforest as one would predict, but
on a barren plateau in the cold, high Andes, a scene more like the
moon than pristine farmland. Maca is likely to bring the attention of
the world to South America..." Maca - Hormone Replacement Therapy Alternative for Women; Whole World Botanicals, PR Newswire; New York, NY (July 11, 2002) South American Herb Maca as Alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy July 11, 2002 -- Rather than face the now-proven risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), an estimated six million women may now be searching for other options to help relieve menopausal symptoms. One option that is likely to become more familiar to women and their practitioners is the Peruvian herb maca. Maca is a cruciferous root vegetable that when freshly harvested resembles a small turnip. Maca has been used as both a food and medicine for thousands of years by native people from the Andes Mountains. The search for safer alternatives to HRT intensified this week after reports were issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), indicating that the use of combination estrogen/progestin drugs in healthy menopausal women increases the risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots, outweighing the drugs’ possible health benefits. NIH stopped a large-scale clinical trial and recommended the 16,000 participants stop taking the estrogen/progestin drugs immediately. New York-based anthropologist Viana Muller, Ph.D., has been making collecting/study trips to Peru since 1989, exploring both the rainforest and Andes Mountains in search of effective herbal remedies unknown to North Americans. According to Dr. Muller, women who are stopping HRT may want to explore using maca root extract with one of the growing number of holistic medical doctors and other healthcare practitioners who are familiar with herbal medicine. Says Dr. Muller, “Maca has been used successfully by native people of Peru for hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities, fertility, and menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, loss of energy, libido and depression.” Since introducing maca to medical doctors practicing CAM (Complementary/Alternative Medicine) at the Anti-Aging Medical Conference 1997, Dr. Muller has seen a dramatic increase in the use of this medicinal herb by holistic practitioners in the U.S. Research has shown that maca contains no plant hormones, unlike soy/genistein and black cohosh. Instead, its action relies on plant sterols, which act as chemical triggers to help the body itself produce a higher level of hormones appropriate to the age and gender of the person taking it. Clinical case studies have shown that maca can be effective for premenstrual syndrome (PMS), as well as menopausal symptoms, and may help symptoms of hypothyroidism as well. Alan Warshowsky, M.D., is an ob-gyn who serves as Director of Women’s Health at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Hospital in New York. Says Dr. Warshowsky: "At least 50 percent of my menopausal patients are using maca and doing well. I don’t recommend the genistein supplements made from soy, since research has shown that they can have a stimulating effect on breast cancer cells.” Karen Paris, a Physician’s Assistant of the Atkins Center in New York, the clinic founded by famed weight loss expert Robert Atkins, M.D., has said that the clinic began using organic maca root extract last year, finding it more effective for their menopausal patients than the phytoestrogenic herbs. Says Paris, "We have had great success using maca in conjunction with some nutritional supplements, to wean women off of hormone replacement therapy. Some of them have been on HRT for many years. For the few women who still have some symptoms, we have developed a combination protocol that works very well, involving maca extract and a tiny amount of natural estrogen together with natural progesterone--which unlike progestin, is not carcinogenic." Cynthia Watson, M.D., a Santa Monica physician specializing in women’s health, integrated the use of maca into her approach to menopausal symptoms six years ago. Says Dr. Watson, " I give my patients a choice--either natural hormones which are made to be bioidentical to human estrogen and progesterone or maca extract." In her opinion both approaches are equally successful. "The ones who have chosen to go with maca extract are doing phenomenally well," she added. Dr. Muller recommends that any woman considering use of maca for menopausal symptoms do their own research. Says Dr. Muller, "If they have never used any hormone replacement, they can start using organic maca extract on their own without encountering any special problems. But if they have osteoporosis or if they have been on HRT for more than a few months, they are definitely going to need the guidance of health care practitioners who have integrated herbal therapies into their medical practice and are informed about available alternatives to prescription drugs for effective relief of menopausal symptoms." She also feels that in order to evaluate the effectiveness of any natural therapy for the maintenance of bone strength or to help reverse osteoporosis, women need to work with practitioners who can order tests to establish base line hormone levels before starting the maca therapy, and follow up two months later with a second series of hormone tests to find out if the dose the patient is taking is sufficient. "Even more accurate a measure of bone protection," says Dr. Muller, “is to do a base line and follow up bone resorption test to establish the rate at which calcium is being excreted into the urine. That avoids the problem of ‘false positives’ that women may get when taking phytoestrogenic herbs." The November, 1998 Townsend Letter for Doctors, summarized comments from various physicians who have discovered the wonderful therapeutic effects of Maca. Doctors Discuss the Powerful Benefits of Maca, Reprinted with permission Chicago physician Gary F. Gordon, former President of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, knows first hand the value of Maca. "We all hear rumors about various products like Maca," he says. "But using this Peruvian root myself, I personally experienced a significant improvement in erectile tissue response. Dr. Gordon explains that Maca works by normalizing our steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. Therefore it has the facility to forestall the hormonal changes of aging. It acts on men to restore them to a healthy functional status in which they experience a more active libido." Lots of men and women who previously believed their sexual problems were psychological are now clearly going to look for something physiological to improve quality of life in the area of sexuality" says Dr. Gordon. "In other words, I believe that people who engage in sex twice a week or more live longer. I've found sexual activity to be a reliable marker for overall aging." Burton Goldberg, President of Future Medicine Publishing in Tiburon, California, whose latest book is An Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer, is another enthusiast of Maca. He says that when he tried Maca he was very pleased with the results and began taking it regularly. "I'm a 72 year- old man and this Maca has taken 25 years off my aging sex life," declares Goldberg. "That's pretty important to me!" Henry Camponile, M.D., of St. Petersburg, Florida states that his first menopausal patient "started to feel better four days after she began taking Maca," and finds that it promotes energy unlike any other herb he has used. Hugo Malaspina, M.D., a cardiologist practicing complementary medicine in Lima, Peru, has been using Maca in his practice for ten years. Dr. Malaspina first found out about Maca through a group of sexually active older men who were taking the herb with good results. "One of this group started taking Maca and found he was able to perform satisfactorily in a sexual relationship with a lady friend. Soon everyone in the group began drinking the powdered Maca as a beverage and enjoying the boost that the root was giving their hormonal functions. I have several of these men as patients, and their improvement prompted me to find out more about Maca and begin recommending it to my other patients."
Malaspina frequently prescribes Maca to women experiencing premenstrual
discomfort or menopausal symptoms. "There are different
medicinal plants that work on the ovaries by stimulating them,"
he says. "With Maca though, we should say that it regulates
the ovarian function." Dr. Malaspina further notes that
"Maca regulates the organs of internal secretion, such as the
pituitary, the adrenal glands, and the pancreas. I have had
perhaps two hundred female patients whose perimenopausal and
menopausal symptoms are alleviated by taking Maca."
Copyright 2001.....Property of Best Natural Health Solutions
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