Maca Roots
MACA which is commonly known as Lepidium Meyenii is an biennial plant of the crucifer family related to broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale. Cultivated high in the Andes mountains in the Junin district of Peru's central highlands for at least 3000 years, these maca fields lie at an elevation of 4284 meters or 14,055 feet. An inhospitable region of intense sunlight, violent winds, below-freezing weather, extreme temperatures and poor, rocky soil. The area rates among the world's worst farmland, yet, over the centuries, maca has evolved to flourish under these conditions.
Maca is one of the few plants that has adapted to life in the climatic conditions in the Central Andes of Peru, where it grows and reproduces at a higher altitude than any other in extreme conditions of altitude and climate, bearing and resisting frost, hailstorms, drought and strong winds etc.
In the struggle for survival under such extreme conditions, maca, according to the law of biological organisms survive only with strong capacity and adaptability. This makes the Maca stress develop its defenses expressed in pigments such as anthocyanins that have antioxidant activity beneficial to the plant and allow surviving in such circumstances.
Maca Harvesting
Drying Maca Roots
Known as the Peruvian Ginseng in South Maerica, Maca is also considered as a treasure in Peru, and to the Chinese it is known as red Betanin. Round in shape it is rich in zinc, proteins, minerals, iron, potassium, vitamins B1, B2, B, 12, C and E, phosphorus, calcium, essential amino acids and has an odor quite similar to butterscotch. An annual plant which was highly revered by the Inca. Domesticated about 2,000 years ago by the Incas.
It is one of the few popular natural aphrodisiacs that's actually backed by science. In South America it's commonly used to boost fertility, even going by the nickname "the Peruvian Viagra." It grows predominantly in the mountains of central Peru and is related to cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage.
Maca on sexual behaviour of mice and rats
Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Maca (Lepidium meyenii)
Maca roots contain not only lipid, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins and minerals, but a good number of phytonutrients like glucosinolate, flavonoid, alkaloid, steroid, etc. The main edible part of the plant is the root, which grows underground. It exists in several colors, ranging from white to black. Maca root powder is very nutritious, and is a great source of several important vitamins and minerals. One ounce (28 grams) of maca root powder contains:
Calories: 91
Carbs: 20 grams
Protein: 4 gram
Fiber: 2 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Vitamin C: 133% of the RDI
Copper: 85% of the RDI
Iron: 23% of the RDI
Potassium: 16% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 15% of the RDI
Manganese: 10% of the RDI
Maca powder
In summary Maca root powder is high in carbs and rich in a number of nutrients, including vitamin C, copper, iron and many bioactive plant compounds.
Maca balances hormones naturally
The scientist responsible for much of the current knowledge of Lepidium meyenii is Dr. Gloria Chacon, a biologist trained at the University of San Marcos, in Lima, Peru. Dr. Chacon says that Lepidium meyenii works in a fundamentally different way than HRT promoting optimal functioning of the hypothalamus and the pituitary, thereby improving the functioning of all the endocrine glands responsible of producing your own human hormones.
It is important to remember that Lepidium meyenii does not contain any hormones, but its action in the body jogs the pituitary into producing the precursor hormones, which ultimately end up raising estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels, as well as helping to balance the adrenal glands, the thyroid and the pancreas.
But this occurs naturally, not with time-bomb drugs, which throw the entire body into a dangerous state of confusion. "Rather than hormone replacement therapy (HRT), millions of women are putting their faith in a remedy which has been used for 2,000 years, which is safe and amazingly effective: a cruciferous herb from Peru, called Lepidium meyenii".
Dr. Chacon discovered Lepidium meyenii’s properties for stimulating endocrine system through several studies which helped her deduce that its herbal components were acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary glands. This also explains why the effects in humans are not limited to ovaries and testes, but also act on the adrenals, giving a feeling of greater energy and vitality, and on the pancreas and thyroid as well.
Dr. Chacon de Popovici. Ph.D
Reprinted from Nature & Health magazine.
~~~~~~
Maca, a great HRT alternative
An herbal remedy used by native peoples for thousands of years comes to our attention and it seems so important to health that we wonder how we ever got along without it; Lepidium meyenii is that kind of herb. Now women have an alternative to hormone replacement therapy drugs. Lepidium meyenii works in an entirely different and more satisfactory way for most women than Phytoestrogen herbs like black Cohosh and licorice root. And men, too, find that Lepidium Meyenii can counteract the difficulties they may experience in maintaining good sexual relationships as they age, due to a general slowing down in the output of the endocrine glands.
Dr. Viana Muller PhD
Anthropologist, has been making rainforest herb collecting/study trips
to the Amazon River Basin since 1989. Reprinted from
Nature & Health magazine, January 2000.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Longivity Herb for Men and Women
Of course, as someone interested in longevity, I’m aware that mortality comes on much sooner for those individuals whose sexual activity is diminished or nonexistent. 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. What I see in Maca is a means of normalizing our steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. Therefore it has facility to forestall the hormonal changes of aging.”
Dr. Garry P. Gordon MD
Founder of the International College of Advanced Longevity Medicine,
Chicago, Illinois.
~~~~~~~~
Antioxidant activity of Maca
Lepidium meyenii is a plant from the Andes of Peru. Lepidium meyenii is used as a food for its nutritional value and ethno medicinal properties linked to fertility and vitality. This study evaluated the antioxidant activity of Lepidium meyenii. Collectively, our results indicate that Lepidium meyenii has the capacity to scavenge free radicals and protect cells against oxidative stress.
Dr. Manuel Sandoval, et al.
From the Center for Cardiovascular Sciences,
Albany Medical College, NY, USA
~~~~~~
An Ancient Herb from Peru
Lepidium meyenii
Lepidium meyenii is the highest altitude-cultivated crop in the world. Related to the turnip, it is the only native cruciferous vegetable of the Americas. Lepidium meyenii 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 Lepidium meyenii is grown nearly another mile into the atmosphere.
But, are sexual function, fertility, energy and vitality the reasons for the interest in Lepidium meyenii? Perhaps, but of greater interest is its ability to promote hormonal stability. Remarkably, the consumption of this vegetable has been shown to prevent the diseases related with hormonal imbalance such as menopause symptoms, PMS and others.
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. Lepidium meyenii is likely to bring the attention of the world to South America.
Dr. Mark Miller PhD
Professor of Pediatrics and Cardiovascular Sciences at Albany Medical College,
Excerpted from the January/February 2000 issue of
Neutraceuticals World.
~~~~~~
Lepidium Meyenii Improves Sexual Functioning
Preliminary studies have shown that Lepidium meyenii can increase libido in healthy men. It does this without influencing levels of testosterone or any other sex hormones. Healthy men who take Lepidium meyenii have also been shown to have increased semen volume, increased sperm counts, and enhanced sperm motility. Lepidium meyenii administered orally in tablets during 12 weeks had a beneficial effect on subjective sexual desire in healthy adult men. The results demonstrate the effect of Lepidium meyenii on healthy men is noticeable since 60 days of treatment.
Dr. Gonzales GF, Cordova A, Gonzales C, et al.
Lepidium meyenii improved semen parameters in adult.
~~~~~~
Increase Sexual Stamina and Fertility
with Lepidium Meyeni
Harvested over 13,000 feet up in the central Andes, Lepidium meyenii was considered so potent that the Incas confined its use to their royal family. After almost becoming extinct, the plant's properties to improve sex lives and fertility are again being seized on in the wake of the world-wide Viagra craze.
From only a few acres of the crop in 1995, there are now 1500 acres with plans to plant a further 5000 acres. Lepidium meyenii "fully unlocks the potential of what the Incas called their superfood", say Herbal propionates in Europe. "It's very hot stuff and it's going to be very big as it does not have any side-effect". Apart from increasing sexual stamina and fertility, its other uses include hormone replacement therapy and the easing of pre-menstrual tension. While some companies are seeking patents on the products derived from Lepidium meyenii, others consider it a gift to the world and offer it without a patent.
Article: Female Viagra!
(Source: the Scottish Herbal News Media)
~~~~~~
Medical Journal Report On
Sex Enhancing Herbal Extract
Urology, a major peer-reviewed medical journal that first published the Viagra® study, will publish a study confirming the sex-enhancing effects of an extract of Maca, a root from the central highlands of Peru. "This is a significant development in maca research, and a breakthrough for the herbal industry," says Dr. David Forrester. "This is a very unusual development for a major medical journal to publish findings on a sex-enhancing herb."
Since the release of the drug Viagra, a plethora of supplement companies have marketed herbal products purported to enhance libido and sexual function. But these products have lacked clinical validation. In the study which appeared in the April 2000 issue of Urology, mice fed Maca Root extract exhibited a significant increase in sexual activity when compared to the control group.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has been used by Peruvians for centuries as an energy and sex-enhancing botanical. To investigate traditional maca use and cultivation, the Peruvian government sponsored research in the Andes highlands (see Expedition Bulletin). To unlock maca's chemical secrets, scientists conducted the most comprehensive analysis of maca ever performed. Under the direction of Dr. Qun Yi Zheng, chemists discovered several previously unknown compounds in the plant. To ensure product safety, a cultivator donated an industry brand extract for oral toxicity testing. The results revealed no toxicity and an absence of adverse pharmacalogic effects.
Further in vivo studies showed that the maca extract promotes libido, sexual potency and energy. Animals fed the extract greatly increased their sexual activity, engaging in sex far more frequently than usual. The Urology article, authored by Dr. Zheng and colleagues, describes the studies. Anecdotal reports from individuals given Maca further confirm the sex-enhancing effects of the extract. Users claim a significant increase in libido, enhanced sexual function, and increased frequency of sex.
Article: Female Viagra!
(Source: the Scottish Herbal News Media)
~~~~~~
When it comes to male fertility, sperm quality and quantity is very important. There is some evidence that maca root increases men's fertility. A recent review summarized the findings of five small studies. It showed that maca improved semen quality in both infertile and healthy men.
Maca possesses fertility enhancing properties in men
Maca improved sperm production and sperm motility
Maca reduces psychological symptoms
