What is Maca?
Maca, also known as Andean ginseng or Peruvian ginseng, is made from the root of Lepidium meyenii Walp. (Fam. Brassicaceae), a plant typical of the Andean areas that grows at rather high altitudes (3500 - 4500 meters).
Property
The drug is rich in carbohydrates (60%), proteins (10%), amino acids, minerals - especially calcium (150 mg / 100g), iron (16.6 mg / 100g), selenium, iodine and zinc (3, 8 mg / 100g) - fiber (8.5%) and fat (2.2%).
By virtue of its richness in macro and micronutrients, Maca has a considerable nutritional value, which for the Peruvian populations is comparable to that of our cereals.
In Italy, the dried root of Lepidium, is used above all for its adaptogenic, immunostimulating and aphrodisiac properties.
Adaptogenic properties
The first term is common to all those drugs, such as ginseng and "eleutherococcus, capable of increasing the body's ability to adapt to stressful agents of various kinds (physical, mental, work, sports, pathological, etc.), avoiding damage that can result from such conditions without causing major side effects.
Aphrodisiac properties
Undoubtedly, the most advertised and sought after feature by Maca consumers is its ability to boost sexual energies. This characteristic is supported by Peruvian folk medicine and by some recent studies, mainly carried out on rodents. In the first treatment period, mice fed with Maca extracts increased the volume of their testicles and the amount of sperm produced.
In other researches, carried out on adult patients, it was observed that the administration of maca for 4 months induced an increase in sperm volume, in the number of spermatozoa and in their activity, with a subjective improvement in sexual desire (compared to placebo), without significantly affect blood levels of testosterone or estradiol (2-4).These effects would be attributable to some alkaloids and phytosterols or, more simply, to the set of macro and micronutrients present in the root. The latter would also be responsible for its presumed ergogenic (useful for athletes) and restorative effect.
However, the studies carried out so far are not sufficient to confirm the aphrodisiac properties of the root of Lepidium meyenii.
How to use
The dosage used in the two studies conducted on adults was between 1500 and 3000 mg / day (from 3 to 6 gelatinized capsules containing 500 mg of dehydrated Maca root).
Side effects
The risks deriving from the consumption of Maca seem to be minimal (in Peru its nutritional applications are very vast and supported by a centuries-old tradition). It is not recommended for use during pregnancy, lactation and in the presence of thyroid, prostatic and endocrine disorders.
In maca roots there are high concentrations of glycosinolates, goitigenic substances which - in combination with a diet low in iodine - can cause goiter. However, it should be noted that the iodine content in maca roots is significant, especially in those of a darker color (red, blackish or purple).
Bibliography
1. Gonzales GF, Ruiz A, Gonzales C, Villegas L, Cordova A.
Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) roots on spermatogenesis of male rats.
Asian J Androl 3, 231-3.
2. Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Gonzales C, Chung A, Vega K.
Lepidium meyenii (Maca) improved semen parameters in adult men.
Asian. J Androl 3, 301-3.
3. Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Vega K, Chung A, Villena A, Gónez C, Castillo S.
Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosteron levels in adult healthy men.
Andrology 34, 367-72.
4. Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Vega K, Chung A, Villena A, Gónez C.
Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a root with aphrodisiac and fertility-enhancing properties, on serum reproductive hormone levels in adult healthy men.
J. Endocrinol 176, 163-8.
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