Clayton's Health Facts: Maca.

Clayton South, SPN (ISSA), is a recognized expert in the bodybuilding / fitness industry with over 150 bodybuilding, fitness and nutrition publications to his credit.

What is maca?

Peruvian Maca Root is a root vegetable that has grown wild high in the Andes mountain ranges of Peru for thousands of years. It has been called "Peruvian Ginseng", "Peruvian Viagra", "A Miracle Product", and "The 21st Century Food". Maca has become very popular because of it's ability to increase sexual urges and fertility rates in men and women.

There are other benefits and attributes that are also well known such as it's ability to make people more energetic, stronger and have more endurance, and the ability to make them feel better emotionally. It has been used to relieve the symptoms of menopause, andropause, and correcting hormonal imbalances in men and women.

The Peruvian Maca Root is in the same family as the radish and turnip. That would explain why it looks very similar to them. It come in a variety of different colors ranging from white to black and purple.

It grows at an altitude of 14,000 feet above sea level withstanding the climate and conditions that are very extreme, such as freezing cold, intense sunlight and strong winds. As you might know these conditions are not exactly ideal for growing vegetation. This means that the maca root has the honor of being the highest growing food plant in the world.

Many years ago in Peru, the farmers noticed a that their animals would become healthier, hardier, and stronger, and would tend to copulate more and have a much higher fertility rate when they grazed in areas where lots of maca root was growing.

The farmers were intrigued by this and tried it out for themselves. They found that it made them more energetic, strong, and able to withstand the high altitude and harsh climate. The farmers also noticed that it made them more sexually active and fertile.

What's so special about it?

Scientific research has found that maca is amazingly rich in amino acids, phytonutrients, fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. It has an abundance of trace minerals, some of which have not even been classified by scientists yet.

Maca is so rich with nutrition and energy and life giving ingredients, some claim that it could be the most beneficial supplement for you to take. It is almost like a once a day multi-vitamin. So much so, that if you weren't taking a multi-vitamin, but you were supplementing maca, you wouldn't be missing many of the essential nutrients from your diet.

One of the great benefits of this amazing little root is that it can help regulate, support, and balance the hormonal systems of both men and women. It is not gender specific and works equally well for both genders.

Even though maca is not in the ginseng family, it is an adaptogen. Adaptogens raise the physical body's state of resistance to diseases through health and emotional improvements. You do need realize that adaptogens work gradually and not instantly. They need to be continually used to receive the full benefits they offer.

Another truly amazing benefit of maca is it's ability to relieve the symptoms of menopause and andropause (male menopause). Not only does it alleviate the symptom, but it works rather quickly with most people. We are talking a matter of a few days!

How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?

One thing to remember is that maca is a food, and is not used in tiny quantities. A lot of capsules contain 500 milligrams of the ground, dried maca powder. At this concentration, some recommend taking three to six capsules daily.

One thing you must remember is that maca is not a drug and should be continually used. Using it for a short period of time may not give you the best results. It is recommended that you consistently use maca at a minimum of six to ten 500 milligram capsules per day, which is equal to 3,000 to 5,000 milligrams.

MacaPure is a standardized concentrated extract and it's use has different recommendations. The companies that sell MacaPure suggest taking one 450 milligram capsule twice daily, which equals 900 milligrams.

To an extent, the more maca or maca extract you consume, the more benefits you will receive. Keep in mind, too much of anything is not good for you. Studies have been done that showed no toxicity and no adverse pharmacological effects from maca. Studies done on animals showed that the more maca they consumed the stronger and more sexually active they became.

With maca, you can have a safe, effective, and nontoxic way to significantly boost your sexual function, without the hazards or side effects of prescription drugs.