Dietary supplement: Maca

maca (Lepidium meyenii) It is a tuber of the cabbage and radish family, which grows in the highlands of the Andes, where it was the staple food, fresh or dried. Sometimes called “Peruvian ginseng,” it is not part of the ginseng family nor is it called an “adapted” plant. It is rich in antioxidants (antioxidants, glucosinolates) as well as amino acids.

Uses and Supposed Properties of Maca

The maca tuber is believed to have toning properties in the immune system as well as on fertility. It is marketed as a nutritional supplement that offers against erectile dysfunction and male fertility.

Maca is also offered in the treatment of disorders related to menopause. A substance found in maca, macaine, that will stimulate the production ofhormones sex in women.

How effective is maca?

Studies have evaluated the effects of maca on fertility in rats and humans. In mice, maca tuber extracts increase the blood level testosterone (hormone male sex), stimulating sexual behavior and enhancing sperm production and mobility. In men, an increase in libido and sperm production is also observed.

No clinical study supports the use of maca in disorders related to menopause.

Precautions to take with maca

The maca tuber contains many substances from the alkaloid family, four of which are toxic to animals: methy ltetrahy drocarbon, toxic to the nervous system, macaredin and two lepidiline. In the traditional preparation of maca as food, these substances are removed by a preheating process. After these alkaloids were identified in some nutritional supplements, the Danish government banned the sale of products containing Maca.

In France, the Afssa (French Food Safety Agency, now ANSES) “could not conclude that there is no risk”, but did not ban the sale of these supplements. However, caution should be exercised and preferably not to take supplements containing this tuber.

Forms and dosage of maca

Maca is used in the form of dried dried tubers.