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<\/p>\nYou may have seen maca crop up at a local coffee shop or as an add-in at a smoothie bar, but this trendy superfood isn\u2019t new.<\/p>\n
Maca is a centuries-old plant that\u2019s been hailed as an aphrodisiac and fertility aid.<\/p>\n
But before you order up a maca latte and get your freak on, we\u2019re here to tell you what this magic root is all about.<\/p>\n
Maca \u2014 not to be confused with matcha \u2014 is in the Brassicaceae\u00a0family which includes cruciferous root vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage.<\/p>\n
It has been\u00a0cultivated and used in Peru\u00a0for more than 1,300 years as both food and medicine.<\/p>\n
There are three types of maca (scientific name\u00a0Lepidium meyenii): red, black, and yellow, the last being the most common and most researched variety and commercially preferred.<\/p>\n
While maca root is what you\u2019ll find in nature, you\u2019ll likely find it sold in stores as maca powder, which allows for quick and easy consumption.<\/p>\n
Some people claim that this is a superfood marvel, as it\u2019s touted globally for its\u00a0potential fertility benefits, ability to improve endurance and athletic performance, antidepressant-like qualities, help women manage symptoms of menopause, and more.<\/p>\n
We reached out to the experts and sifted through the studies to find out how much of this is based in science.<\/p>\n
As with many superfoods, research suggests maca has great health potential, but it\u2019s certainly not a panacea.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not something that\u2019s going to cure all your ailments or help you lose weight quickly,\u201d says registered dietitian Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD.<\/p>\n
But there are a few potential benefits of this superfood, which is high in high in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s is considered\u00a0an adaptogen, meaning it can help the body adapt to stress. Studies suggest maca may also help people with\u00a0fatigue\u00a0and\u00a0anxiety, too.<\/p>\n
For women, maca has potential\u00a0estrogenic activity, which can be beneficial in some cases.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn women, maca seems to be most beneficial to relieve menopause symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes,\u00a0depression, or sleep dysfunction,\u201d says Mascha Davis MPH, RDN, private practice dietitian at\u00a0Nomadista Nutrition.<\/p>\n
As for men, \u201cmaca has traditionally been used to increase libido, raise testosterone levels, and support prostate health,\u201d Davis says.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Maca is generally considered safe in small amounts, but there\u2019s no research out there that tells us its safe in children or pregnant or nursing women.<\/p>\n
People suffering from hormone sensitive conditions might want to stay away from it since it can potentially act like an estrogen, Davis says.<\/p>\n
Though it would be rare to eat it in any other form in the U.S., it\u2019s best to consume it in its cooked state (which is how you\u2019ll find it as a powder).<\/p>\n
\u201cFresh, raw maca may give you stomach pain,\u201d Giancoli says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t great research on maca for weight loss or weight maintenance,\u201d Giancoli says, \u201cbut there\u2019s limited research in rats that found they didn\u2019t gain weight when they took supplements of maca \u2014 so it may\u00a0help with maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s potential to help people lose or maintain weight may have more to do with its ability to perk us up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may make you feel more energized,\u201d Giancoli says. \u201cAnd if you feel more energized, it may help you have a better workout.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis agrees: \u201cMaca does not directly help you lose weight, though it might boost your energy levels and increase your motivation to be active,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Maca is described as having a\u00a0bitter taste and pungent smell \u2014 which doesn\u2019t make it the most palatable.<\/p>\n
But the good news here is that it\u2019s less-than-pleasant flavor profile may prevent you from consuming too much of it.<\/p>\n
As of right now, there\u2019s no long term research on how much of this superfood is safe to consume every day.<\/p>\n
According to one study, \u201cUp to three grams (of maca powder) daily is safe for four months \u2014 beyond that we don\u2019t know,\u201d Giancoli says.<\/p>\n
But there are many ways you can incorporate those three grams into your diet.<\/p>\n
You can use maca in recipes or sprinkle it on top of your food: \u201cIt can be put over cereal or a salad, or in a smoothie or soup,\u201d Giancoli says. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty versatile.\u201d<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll most commonly find maca powder in health food stores, some grocery stores (like\u00a0Trader Joe\u2019s), and\u00a0online.<\/p>\n
You may also find\u00a0gelatinized maca powder, which can be easier for some people to digest because it\u2019s indigestible starch is removed during the gelatinization process.<\/p>\n
But make sure you look for maca that\u2019s grown and processed in its native area, the\u00a0Andes mountains of Peru.<\/p>\n
Because this superfood\u2019s popularity increased so quickly in the last 20 years or so, it\u2019s not always grown and manufactured the way it was hundreds of years ago.<\/p>\n
Depending on where you source it, it may have been grown with fertilizers and pesticides, which can\u00a0alter the quality and safety\u00a0of the final product.<\/p>\n
Each and every maca health claim doesn\u2019t necessarily have scientific evidence to support it.<\/p>\n
More research is needed before we can confidently say this is the superfood supplement we\u2019ve been dreaming of.<\/p>\n
That said, can a teaspoon of quality maca powder here and there be a part of a healthy lifestyle? Sure! Just don\u2019t view it as a miracle food.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You may have seen maca crop up at a local coffee shop or as an add-in at a smoothie bar, but this trendy superfood isn\u2019t new. Maca is a centuries-old plant that\u2019s been hailed as an aphrodisiac and fertility aid. But before you order up a maca latte and get your freak on, we\u2019re here […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}