Maca: Will This Herbal Aphrodisiac From Peru Work For You? by Agostino Rossi Maca is also sometimes called Peruvian ginseng. It is considered to be a good source of energy. Recently, its popularity has been growing as a nutritional supplement for enhancing fertility, improving sexual performance, and for "hormonal balancing." Are these claims for real? First, let's briefly review some background information. Maca is a perennial plant that grows in the Andes Mountains of Peru and produces tuberous roots that look somewhat like yellow radishes. Maca was produced as a food crop by the Incas over 2,000 years ago. Maca is a highly nutritional food with an excellent balance of sugars, proteins and starches. Dried maca root contains over 60% carbohydrates, more than 10% protein, and at least 5% fiber. The root can be eaten either raw or dried, and it can be cooked by baking, roasting or boiling. Maca root has been made into fermented drinks, jams, and sodas. Modern cultivation of maca is expanding due to interest in its medicinal properties by consumers in the U.S. and Europe. Various scientists have analyzed the chemical composition of maca since at least the early 1980's. The main chemicals present in maca include alkaloids, amino acids (including arginine and histidine), fatty acids, glucosinolates, iron, magnesium, p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, and various vitamins. Of these, one has been identified as having at least mild aphrodisiac properties: p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate. The relatively high concentration of arginine may be significant due to its role in male fertility. The relatively high concentration of histidine may also be important, in both positive and negative ways. Histidine is used in the body to produce histamine, a compound important in the process of ejaculation. The presence of histidine may be beneficial to women having trouble achieving orgasms, but may be detrimental to men who suffer from premature ejaculation. A problem with some of the scientific studies that reported a positive effect on fertility and sexual function in laboratory animals is that much of this research was funded by the companies that market maca products in the U.S. Many independent scientists are skeptical of these studies because of the ease with which animal behavioral studies can be manipulated to achieve a pre-determined outcome. Nonetheless, some of these published reports support a role for maca in modifying libido and sexual functioning. Some of the advertising text for maca products refers to its use as a "hormonal balancing" product. This is rather vague language that implies a benefit, but is there actually any evidence that maca balances hormones? A scientific paper published in 2003 in the Journal of Endocrinology by a group of researchers in Peru suggest that this claim is not supported by the evidence. These scientists conducted a study on men between the ages of 21 and 56 years who were given either a placebo or maca for 12 weeks. The researchers saw no effect on any of the hormones studied, nor did they see any changes in hormones such as testosterone in the blood of the subjects. Their conclusion was that "treatment with Maca does not affect serum reproductive hormone levels." However, it is important to keep in mind that a problem with objectively determining whether or not an herbal product like maca works is that these products are made from plants grown under a variety of conditions, and the composition of the products can vary from one batch to another. Whether or not maca is functional as an aphrodisiac or sexual enhancer may be a function of specifically how the plant is grown, and how these conditions affect its chemical makeup. A scientific paper published in 2006 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology demonstrated that one type of maca had a positive effect on sperm formation in rats, and two types of maca had no effect. So, like with most nutritional supplements and herbal remedies, be aware that there are highly variable quality control procedures used (or not used) by the industry; watch out for unrealistic claims and hype; and be aware that just because something is "natural" does not guarantee that it is safe. Try a new product carefully until you are sure it works and does no harm, and remember to tell your health care provider what you are doing. Return to Better Love is Easy

| Home | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Terms of Use | Contact Us | Article Archive |