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Chris Kilham
The South American country of Peru is home to numerous
beneficial plants, including Maca, a legendary sex-enhancing
root passed down from the Inca. I'd heard about Maca for
years. It has been dubbed "Peruvian ginseng," even though it
bears no relation to ginseng. But like ginseng, the plant is
employed to increase strength, energy, stamina, libido and
sexual function, a winning combination of health benefits if
there ever was one.
To investigate Maca's health benefits and understand the role
that Maca plays in Peruvian culture, my wife and I headed down
to Peru to explore the Maca trail. In the process we met with
Maca traders, growers and scientists, and came back
tremendously impressed by this plant, which is now available
as a supplement in U.S. health food stores.
What is Maca?
Maca, Lepidium meyenii, is an annual plant which produces a
radish-like root. The root of Maca is typically dried and
stored, and will easily keep for seven years. The plant is
cultivated in the Junin plateau of Peru's Central Highlands,
and was highly revered by the Inca.
During the height of the Incan empire, legend has it that
Incan warriors would consume Maca before entering into battle.
This would make them fiercely strong. But after conquering a
city the Incan soldiers were prohibited from using Maca, to
protect the conquered women from their powerful sexual
impulses. Thus as far back as 500 years ago, Maca's reputation
for enhancing strength, libido and fertility was already well
established in Peru.
Today, Maca's popularity is very much on the increase, as
people discover that the plant really does boost libido,
sexual function and overall energy. Acreage in Peru dedicated
to Maca cultivation is increasing every year to meet demand,
and a number of scientists have turned their attention to the
properties of the root. In Peru, Maca is used by men and by
women who want to put more fire into their sex lives. And in
the U.S., Europe and Japan, dietary supplements containing
Maca are gaining ardent devotees.
Maca Nutrition
What natural ingredients in Maca promote its reputed
sex-enhancing effects? In-depth analysis of Maca conducted in
1998 by Dr. Qun Yi Zheng and his colleagues at PureWorld
Botanicals shows that Maca contains about 10 percent protein,
almost 60 percent carbohydrate, and an assortment of fatty
acids. These ingredients are common and nothing special. But
the investigators also discovered two groups of novel
compounds, the macamides and the macaenes. These agents are
believed to be directly responsible for Maca's sex-boosting
powers.
To test this idea, researchers conducted a series of
controlled animal experiments, the results of which were
published in the April 2000 issue of the medical journal
Urology. Rodents fed Maca extract, which contains a
concentration of macamides and macaenes, demonstrated greatly
increased energy and stamina. The animals also exhibited a
striking increase in sexual activity as compared with non-Maca-fed
animals, or those fed lesser amounts of macamides and macaenes.
So how does this translate to humans? Individuals who consume
Maca also get sexual results. Men and women with low libido
feel a boost in sexual desire, and men with erectile problems
notice marked improvement in sexual function.
Maca Use in Peru
In Peru, Maca is a food. At the Third Annual Maca Festival in
Churin, Peru, we sampled numerous products made with the
sex-enhancing root. Peruvians make cookies, cakes, hot
porridge, chips and blender drinks with Maca root, which has a
pleasant flavor similar to graham flour.
At several booths, women were making Maca blender drinks. Maca
roots soaked in jars of water, and the tables were laden with
all the ingredients for a drink. The typical shake includes a
couple of soaked Maca roots and a little bit of the soak
water, a handful of fresh papaya (trucked up from the warm
lowlands), some condensed milk, an egg, honey and vanilla, all
put together with vigor and smiles. I asked a number of people
why they used Maca, but one woman stands out in my mind. She
smiled at my question and replied, "Well, for the sex, of
course."
Doctors Comment on Maca
Users aren't the only ones making comments about Maca. The
root and its extracts are used in medical practice in Peru. In
the November 1988 Townsend Letter for Doctors, physicians were
quoted regarding the therapeutic and salutary uses of Maca.
Doctor Hugo Malaspina, M.D., a cardiologist practicing
complementary medicine in Lima, Peru, has been using Maca in
his practice for 10 years.
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."
Another Peruvian physician, Doctor Aguila Calderon, M.D., is
the former dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at the
National University of Federico Villarreal in Lima. Doctor
Calderon uses Maca for male impotence, erectile dysfunction,
menopausal symptoms and general fatigue, and claims good
results.
Arizona physician Gary Gordon, M.D., former president of the
American College for Advancement in Medicine, is also a Maca
supporter. "We all hear rumors about various products like
Maca. But using this Peruvian root myself, I personally
experienced a significant improvement in erectile tissue
response. I call it nature's answer to Viagra.
What I see in Maca is a means of 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."
How Much Maca Should You Take?
Keep in mind that Maca is a food, and is not used in tiny
quantities. Most supplement companies that are selling Maca
are putting about 500 milligrams of ground, dried Maca in each
capsule. Some recommend three capsules daily, some six.
I believe that many people think of herbs like drugs, and
assume that small amounts will do some good. In most cases,
that's not true. As a rule, consumers take too little of most
herbs to derive the benefits those herbs can impart. Rare is
the herb that works in small doses. And many herbal product
labels offer dosage recommendations based not on efficacy, but
on price.
To be consistent with Peruvian use you'd take a minimum of six
to ten 500-milligram capsules of powdered Maca daily, equal to
3,000 to 5,000 milligrams of Maca. You can certainly take
more. You can also obtain powdered Maca root under some
brands. With those products, you can toss a tablespoon full
into a blender drink every day and enjoy Maca the way the
Peruvians do.
Maca, which is a standardized, concentrated extract of
Maca, is a different story. Companies selling MacaPure are
recommending one 450-milligram capsule of MacaPure extract
twice daily, equal to 900 milligrams of MacaPure extract. I
personally think that four to five capsules (between 1,800 and
2,250 milligrams) daily is the right range.
The more Maca or Maca extract you consume, the more benefit
you are likely to get. In toxicity studies conducted in the
U.S., Maca showed absolutely no toxicity and no adverse
pharmacologic effects. In animal studies, the more Maca
animals consume, the stronger and more sexually active they
become. You can be generous with the amounts of Maca products
you take. With Maca, you have a safe, effective, nontoxic way
to significantly boost your sexual function, without the
hazards of prescription drugs.
[Editor's note: While natural herbs can have many positive
effects on your health, including restoring or improving your
sex drive, you should discuss the use of specific herbs with
your doctor. Most herbs are safe on their own but your doctor
can help you know if they can have potential adverse
interactions with other medications you may be taking or other
health conditions you have.]
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