Doctors' comments on Maca

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.
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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.
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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
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More information

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.
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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)
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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)
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