Maca: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
Ayuk willku, Ayak chicira, Maca maca, maka, maino,
Scientific name(s)
Lepidium meyenii
Family or group:
Plants
Indications
Rating methodology
EFSA approval.
Sexual disorders ✪✪✪✪✪
Maca is used in Peru as a sexual stimulant, energizer, and nutritional food. Due to the lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials testing the effects of maca on sexual function, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about its efficacy; however, the available evidence is promising and supported by animal and human research. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 57 healthy men aged 21 to 56 years, testing doses of 1.5 and 3 g of maca per day, concluded that maca improves sexual desire in men by 40% to 42.2% over 8 to 12 weeks. Another double-blind clinical trial involving 50 men with mild erectile dysfunction, using 2400 mg of dried maca for 12 weeks, concluded that there was a small but significant effect of maca supplementation on the subjective perception of overall and sexual well-being. A recent study was conducted on men around 65 years suffering from symptoms associated with reduced functioning of male sex hormones, a phenomenon often encountered with age, known as late-onset hypogonadism. This study revealed that consuming maca at a rate of 1.66 g three times a day over 12 weeks could improve symptoms related to physical, sexual, and psychological health. However, it is important to note that despite these improvements, maca did not have a significant effect on testosterone levels compared to a placebo. On the other hand, maca root may help alleviate sexual dysfunction induced by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A small trial involving 10 patients with recurrent depression showed an improvement in sexual dysfunction and libido when taking 3 g/day for 12 weeks.
Posologie
Oral: root
1.5 - 4 g
12 - weeks
Efficacy and Safety of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Patients with Symptoms of Late-Onset Hypogonadism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Subjective effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) extract on well-being and sexual performances in patients with mild erectile dysfunction: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial
Traditional plant aphrodisiacs and male sexual dysfunction
Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review
Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men
Menopause ✪✪✪✪✪
Maca has been used to reduce menopausal symptoms as an adjunct to hormone replacement therapy. Two randomized controlled trials support the use of maca for relieving several menopausal symptoms. A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study in women with early menopause taking 2 g/day of maca showed a significant reduction in menopausal symptoms over the 8-week trial. A second randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 14 postmenopausal women showed that maca treatment at a dose of 3.5 g/day for 6 weeks significantly reduced psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression, as well as sexual dysfunction, compared to placebo.
Posologie
Oral: root
2 - 3.5 g
8 - weeks
Beneficial effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on psychological symptoms and measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women are not related to estrogen or androgen content
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ✪✪✪✪✪
In a preclinical study, aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of red maca reduced prostate size but not yellow or black maca. Interestingly, serum testosterone and estradiol levels did not change with any type of maca evaluated; however, red maca prevented a testosterone treatment-induced increase in prostate weight.
Posologie
Oral: root
1.5 - 3 g
Male Fertility Disorders ✪✪✪✪✪
Research with animal models is promising and suggests an improvement in spermatogenesis. Peruvian researchers showed that maca helps to alleviate altitude-related effects on the fertility of sheep and guinea pigs through actions on both female and male reproductive systems. Preliminary clinical research shows that taking maca products at a dosage of 1.5 to 3 g per day for 4 months increases sperm volume, sperm count, and sperm motility in healthy men aged 22 to 44 years. In patients with reduced sperm motility and/or low sperm count, taking 2 g of maca daily for 12 weeks increases sperm concentration, but does not affect sperm volume, motility, or morphology compared to placebo. However, a recent meta-analysis of two small clinical studies conducted in men with infertility shows that taking 2 to 2.8 g of maca daily for 12 to 16 weeks does not improve sperm concentration compared to placebo. At this stage, the quality of studies and their heterogeneity do not allow for a definitive conclusion.
Posologie
Oral: root
1.5 - 3 g
12 - weeks
Properties
Fertility Effect
Traditionally, maca has been used to improve livestock fertility at high altitudes and as an aphrodisiac for both men and women. Lipid extracts of macaene and macamide appear to increase sexual activity and correct erectile dysfunction in laboratory animals. Also, in animal models, maca increases spermatogenesis and sperm count, as well as testicular weight. However, when different types of maca are compared in rats, only the black variety seems to improve spermatogenesis. Studies in men and mice suggest an aphrodisiac action whose involved mechanism has not been completely elucidated. Recent research has explored the impact of maca on hormone levels in men. Interestingly, these studies suggest that maca does not significantly alter serum concentrations of several key hormones in healthy men or those with fertility issues. In healthy men, maca consumption does not seem to influence levels of testosterone, estradiol, or 17-hydroxyprogesterone. Similarly, in men suffering from various fertility-related conditions, such as oligospermia, asthenospermia, teratozoospermia, or azoospermia, daily intake of yellow maca over 16 weeks showed no notable effect on the levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, estradiol, or testosterone.
Usages associés
Hexanic Maca extract improves rat sexual performance more effectively than methanolic and chloroformic Maca extracts
Effect of a lipidic extract from lepidium meyenii on sexual behavior in mice and rats
Evaluation of the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walpers in infertile patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Effect of short-term and long-term treatments with three ecotypes of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on spermatogenesis in rats
Lepidium meyenii Walp. improves sexual behaviour in male rats independently from its action on spontaneous locomotor activity
Neurological
Black maca has a neuroprotective effect in an animal model of scopolamine-induced memory disorders (an atropine-like parasympatholytic). The activity may be due to polyphenols, quercetin, and anthocyanins. In vitro studies have demonstrated potential neuroprotective properties in a dose-dependent manner.
Adaptogen
Maca is often noted for its ability to mitigate the effects of stress, which could be due to its capacity to prevent the increase of corticosterone, a key hormone in the stress response. Several researchers have suggested that maca might stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, thereby improving the body's overall resilience to a variety of harmful stimuli and stressful situations. However, it is important to note that the exact mechanisms by which maca might act on this axis remain currently unelucidated and are still the subject of studies.
Usages associés
Bone Density
Maca increases bone density in ovariectomized rats and acts differently from hormone replacement therapy. The effect of maca was more evident in spongy bone-rich regions than in cortical bone-rich ones. The exact mechanisms regulating the endocrine system are unclear. Some researchers suggest that the effect is not due to phytoestrogens or plant hormones but to maca alkaloids acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis.
Antioxidant
Maca is recognized for its antioxidant properties, having the ability to neutralize free radicals and defend cells against oxidative stress. In vitro studies have revealed that the antioxidant activity of maca plays a crucial role in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), essential for maintaining the balance between oxidant and antioxidant agents in the body. Moreover, research on muscle cell cultures, designed to simulate oxidative damage resulting from physical exercise, has shown that maca extract can mitigate oxidative effects. It acts by preserving dehydrogenase activity and maintaining mitochondrial function in skeletal muscles. These results are corroborated by studies on animal models, where pretreatment with maca extract before intense exercise showed a reduction in muscle damage caused by oxidative stress by decreasing levels of reactive oxygen species in the blood and muscles.
Safety dosage
Adult: 1.5 g - 3 g
Generally, the dosage is 1.5 to 3 g/day for 6 to 12 weeks. Regarding toxicity, studies have shown the safety of use at 7.5 g/kg (in rats) and 15 g/kg (in mice), suggesting that maca is safe at high doses.
Precautions
Pregnant women: avoid
Avoid use due to lack of sufficient information.
Breastfeeding women: avoid
Avoid use due to lack of sufficient information.
