Products
Supplements from Maca are in many countries not as medicines, but as food supplements in the trade and for example in pharmacies and drugstores in the form of capsules, tablets, as granules and powder available.
Stem plant
Belongs to the Brassicaceae family and is native to the Peruvian Andes at an altitude of over 4000 m (Junín Plateau).
Medicinal drug
Preparations from the root are used, specifically from the hypocotyl, the storage organ of the plant. It loses a lot of water when dried and shrinks a few centimeters. There are many different species of maca, which differ in color (e.g., black, yellow, red).
Ingredients
Ingredients include alkaloids (macaridine, lepidiline), gluosinolates, nutrients, steroids, aromatic isocyanates, and macaene.
Indications for use
Maca has been traditionally used in the Andes to increase fertility in humans and animals, among other uses. In animal studies, it was found to increase sperm count and fertility. Shin published a scientific review in 2010 on the question of whether maca increases human sexual performance. According to the study, there is evidence of an increase in libido after 6 weeks, but the quality of the studies is insufficient. Other studies have found a possible effect in erectile dysfunction and in postmenopausal women. In summary, an effect seems possible, but scientifically the efficacy is not yet sufficiently proven.
Dosage
According to package insert. Traditionally, maca was dried after harvest and rock hard. Before it could be taken as juice, it had to be boiled in water. In many countries, it is taken in various medicinal forms.
Adverse effects
There are insufficient data on adverse effects. In the Peruvian Andes, maca has been used for centuries and is reported to be tolerable when cooked. Further investigation is needed; possible side effects cannot be completely ruled out (e.g., high iodine content?, increase in blood pressure?, increase in liver enzymes?).