It’s a gorgeous day to learn more about the health benefits of maca.
Maca is an herb that is also a root vegetable. Other terms for maca are Lepidium Meyenii, Peruvian Ginseng, and Maino.
This is a list of some of the health benefits of maca.
1. Maca Is Very Nutritious
Maca is a good source of essential vitamins and minerals.
It has very high contents of vitamin C. You can also get vitamin B6.
Maca root is rich in copper and iron. Other minerals you can get are manganese and potassium.
It’s also a good source of fiber and protein.
2. May Help Reduce Prostate Size
An enlarged prostate is experienced by some aging men.
This can cause serious problems like difficulty in passing urine.
Maca has been found to help reduce the size of your prostate.
In particular, red maca was able to reduce the size of the prostates of the rats included in this study (Red maca (Lepidium meyenii) reduced prostate size in rats).
3. Maca May Have Psychological Benefits
According to different research studies, maca can help enhance your mood.
If you check this study (Beneficial effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on psychological symptoms), it will tell you that maca was able to reduce anxiety and depression from people who are in the test group.
This effect can be caused by the flavonoids found in this herb.
4. May Help Reduce Blood Pressure Levels
According to this study (Maca reduces blood pressure and depression), maca has been seen to help reduce blood pressure in postmenopausal women.
Although the study was only conducted in postmenopausal women, it may still have the same effect on you and me too.
The effect of reduced blood pressure levels could be because of the potassium in this herb.
Potassium can negate the effects of excess sodium in your body and it can help relax your blood vessels for smoother blood flow.
Speaking of lowering blood pressure levels, you should also check my article on the health benefits of psyllium.
Consuming psyllium is another good way of naturally reducing your blood pressure levels.
5. Maca May Help Improve Your Sexual Health
One of them talked about herbs that can increase libido for men and women is maca.
Maca is even primarily marketed for this effect.
More of this can be read in this published study, “Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on sexual desire.”
In this other study, “Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function,” researchers observed significant improvement in sexual desires and sexual functions from the test group.
6. Helps Promote Antioxidant Activity
Consuming maca may help promote your body’s natural antioxidants like glutathione and superoxide dismutase.
Antioxidants help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.
This may prevent chronic health conditions like heart disease and cancer.
7. Maca May Enhance Your Body’s Physical Performance
Several athletes and bodybuilders are using the maca root powder as a supplement to naturally boost energy, gain muscle, and increase strength.
More studies should still be done to significantly tell that these improved body functions are really caused by maca.
However, according to this study (Supplementation of standardized lipid-soluble extract from maca) conducted on rats, researchers noticed increased endurance after consuming maca extracts.
8. Helps Improve Blood Circulation
Because maca is rich in iron, it can help increase your body’s production of red blood cells.
These red blood cells carry nutrients and oxygen all over your body.
This herb can also help prevent iron-deficiency problems like anemia.
9. Maca May Boost Fertility In Men
We’ve already noted that maca can help improve your sexual health, but did you know that if you’re a guy, it may also increase your semen quality and semen quantity?
There are some studies, including this one (Lepidium meyenii (Maca) improved semen parameters in adult men), that tells you that maca may be effective in increasing your sperm count.
10. May Help Protect Your Skin From The Sun
If there is nothing else around, applying maca may help protect your skin from UV radiation from the sun.
In this study (Hypocotyls of Lepidium meyenii), maca was applied to the skin of rats. Researchers noticed that it protected the rats’ skins from damages caused by UV exposure.
Please note that this effect can only be observed if you apply maca on your skin and not when eaten. It’s also not as effective or potent as your conventional sunscreen protection products in the market.
11. Maca May Help Relieve Symptoms Of Menopause
If you’re having issues with your menopause symptoms like hot flashes, irritability, mood swings, and sleep problems, you may want to research more about maca.
There are different studies that maca can help you with menopausal symptoms. One of these studies is “Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for treatment of menopausal symptoms.”
In this study, researchers found out that maca helps with relieving hot flashes and sleep problems.
12. May Improve Brain Functions
Maca may help improve your brain’s functions.
In Peru, natives use maca to make sure that their children perform well in school.
Specifically, black maca was observed to improve learning and memory in rats. For more details, you can read this published study (Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Black Maca (Lepidium meyenii) improve scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice).
Conclusion
These are just some of the health benefits of maca. It’s good to know that most of its health benefits are backed up by studies and research.
I’m unfamiliar with maca and it’s nice to know more about it.
I used to play a lot of sports and lift weights, so I may have been able to benefit from maca if I’ve known it before. And this will be my favorite health benefit of maca on the list.
What’s your favorite maca health benefit?
You should always consult first with your doctor or health professional before consuming something that you’re unsure of.
Think safety first all the time.
Please share this article if you find it valuable with someone you know.
Thank you!
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org