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Newsletter 09

What is it about Maca that gets people so excited? Is it the flavour? The health benefits?

The aphrodisiac claims?

Perhaps it’s all three!

Maca is a member of the brassica family

which includes many commonly eaten and

health giving vegetables such as broccoli,

cauliflower and cabbage. It is native to the high

Andean mountains of Bolivia and Peru where it thrives

in the harsh environment. In these regions it has been

used for over 2000 years as a nutritional food and

medicine to promote strength, endurance, energy,

fertility, hormone balance and as an aphrodisiac

(1,2,3). It is believed that the legendary strength of the

Inca warriors was due, in part, to the fact that they ate

Maca before going into battle.

From the peaks of the Andean Mountains

The Power of PlantsIn a review of medicinal plants from Peru researchers acknowledge that in recent decades natural plant based products have played a significant role in the development of drugs, particularly as agents against cancer and infectious diseases. An analysis by the US Food and Drug Administration found that 62% of new cancer drugs were derived from plants between 1981-2002. Plants contain highly diverse and complex molecular structures compared to synthetic drugs, meaning they often have a wide range of potential therapeutic uses. It seems that modern medicine can learn a lot from the long established traditional uses of plants (1).

Over the past couple of decades there has been an increasing interest in Maca in many parts of the world with exports of Maca from Peru to the USA quadrupling between 2001 to 2010 (2).

Let’s have a look in more detail at the reasons for the increased interest in this amazing plant.

Maca and Sexual FunctionMaca has traditionally been used by the native people of South America as a food to enhance sexual function and as an aphrodisiac. These traditional beliefs have now been backed up by research showing that Maca can improve fertility, sperm production and motility (3). Randomised controlled trials have shown that there is a significant positive effect of Maca on sexual dysfunction and sexual desire in healthy menopausal women and healthy adult men (4,5). It also shows significant effects in improving erectile dysfunction (4).

Maca and Hormone BalanceThe use of Maca by indigenous populations in Peru for hormonal imbalances and menopausal symptoms has now been backed up by scientific research.

Maca is considered to have adaptogenic properties, meaning it has the ability to bring the body’s systems back into balance. It is thought to work on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands to normalise the entire endocrine (hormonal) system of both men and women. This means it can have a balancing effect on the thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, testes and ovaries thus bringing the whole system back to its optimum level.

This is particularly useful for female hormone imbalances as every woman’s cycle will naturally be slightly different meaning it is hard for doctors to know what the ideal progesterone and oestrogen ratio should be at any given time of the month or time of life. So supplementing with synthetic or natural hormones is never going to be an exact science and may lead to further imbalances. Using an

adaptogen like Maca triggers the body into using its own resources to restore the natural balance of hormones.

Using synthetic hormones for any length of time carries a significant risk of side effects whilst no adverse side effects from the medicinal use of Maca have been recorded making it a safe and effective alternative. Some medical doctors in the USA are now using Maca with their patients with good results. Dr Alan Warshowsky, who is Director of Women’s Health at the Continuum Centre for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Hospital in New York says that “at least 50% of my menopausal patients are using Maca and are doing well”. (1)

One study found that post menopausal women given Maca for 6 weeks reported reduced anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction compared to placebo. (6)

Maca and Bone and Joint HealthMaca appears to have a protective effect on the bones in those who may be at risk of oestrogen deficient bone loss (7,8). The mechanism for this protective effect is not well understood as it appears not to be due to an oestrogenic effect, which is the usual mechanism used by plants that support bone health.

Loss of cartilage due to catabolic processes is one of the hallmarks of arthritis. Research suggests that Maca has a protective effect on cartilage and may hold significant promise in the treatment of debilitating joint disease (9).

Maca and Cardiovascular HealthThe high content of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, in Maca have an anti-hypertensive effect meaning they can help to reduce high blood pressure (10). Research also suggests that Maca can significantly decrease levels of LDL (low density lipoproteins), total cholesterol and triacylglycerols (11). Given the number of people with, or at risk of, cardiovascular disease Maca could be a powerful tool from which many could benefit.

Maca and Blood Sugar Maca improves glucose tolerance and reduces blood sugar levels (11). Anyone at risk of diabetes or with symptoms of blood sugar imbalance or insulin resistance may do well to add Maca to their daily intake.

Maca and the BrainResearchers in Massachusetts suggest that Maca may act as a neuro-protectant (meaning it protects the brain and nervous system) (12). More specifically Maca has been shown to improve memory (13) and to have an anti-depressant effect (14)

As you can see the adaptogenic and protective properties of Maca mean that it is potentially beneficial to many

people. In its powdered form it is easy to use; it can be sprinkled onto salads or cereals, stirred into soups, mixed into baked goods or added to smoothies or juices to give them an extra therapeutic value.

Magical Maca EnergiserThis is good for recovery after exercise or can be used as an early evening energiser before a night out!

2 cups of almond milk

1 banana

1 cup of blueberries

2 tbsp of coconut milk

2 tsp of Maca powder

1 tbsp hemp protein powder

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

ReferencesGonzales GF, Valerio LG Jr. Medicinal plants from Peru: a review of plants as potential agents against cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2006 Sep;6(5):429-44

Gonzales GF, Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:193496.

Gonzales GF, Gonazles C, Gonzales-Castaneda C. Lepidium meyenii (Maca): a plant from the highlands of Peru--from tradition to science. Forsch Komplementmed. 2009 Dec;16(6):373-80.

Shin BC, Lee MS, Yang EJ, Lim HS, Ernst E. Maca (L.meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010 Aug 6;10:44.

Stone M, Ibarra A, Roller M, Zangara A, Stevenson E. A pilot investigation into the effect of maca supplementation on physical activity and sexual desire in sportsmen. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Dec 10;126(3):574-6.

Brooks NA, Wilcox G, Walker KZ, Ashton JF, Cox MB, Stojanovska L. 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. Menopause. 2008 Nov-Dec;15(6):1157-62.

Gonzales C, Cardenas-Valencia I, Leiva-Revilla J, Anza-Ramirez C, Rubio J, Gonzales GF. Effects of different varieties of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) on bone structure in ovariectomized rats. Forsh Komplementmed. 2010;17(3):137-43.

Zhang Y, Yu L, Ao M, Jin W. Effect of ethanol extract of Lepidium meyenii Walp. on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rat. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Apr 21;105(1-2):274-9. Epub 2006 Feb 8.

Miller MJ, Ahmed S, Bobrowski P, Haggi TM. The chrondoprotective actions of a natural product are associated with the activation of IGF-1 production by human chondrocytes despite the presence of IL-1beta. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2006 Apr 7;6:13.

Ranilla LG, Kwon YI, Apostolidis E, Shetty K. Phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity and in vitro inhibitory potential against key enzymes relevant for hyperglycemia and hypertension of commonly used medicinal plants, herbs and spices in Latin America. Bioresour Technol 2010 Jun;101(12):4676-89.

Vecera R, Orolin J, Skottova N, Kazdova L, Oliyarnik O, Ulrichova J, Simanek V. The influence of maca (Lepidium meyenii) on antioxidant status, lipid and glucose metabolism in rat. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2007 Jun;62(2):59-63

Pino-Figueroa A, Nguyen D, Maher TJ. Neuroprotective effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca). Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2010 Jun;1199:77-85.

Rubio J, Dang H, Gong M, Liu X, Chen SL, Gonzales GF. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Black Maca (Lepidium meyenii) improve scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice. Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 Oct;45(10):1882-90

Rubio J, Caldas M, Davila S, Gasco M, Gonzales GF. Effect of three different cultivars of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on learning and depression in ovariectomized mice. Complement Altern Med. 2006 Jun 23;6:23

Writtten by Josie Cowgill

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