Maca powder: uses and nutritional benefits

• Antioxidant (catechin, glucosinolate): Maca powder is said to be rich in antioxidant substances such as catechins and glucosinolates. Thus, Maca powder can claim to fight against oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals.

• Aphrodisiac : it seems that Maca powder improves male fertility. Indeed, several studies suggest effects on male fertility, ranging from increased sexual desire, to sperm production, through an increase in sperm concentration, ejaculation volume, or even an improvement in sperm motility. However, all of these data should be minimized in view of the inconclusive effects from other scientific studies.

• Nervous rebalancing : Maca powder is used as an adaptogen in traditional Peruvian medicine. It would help relieve physical and emotional stress. According to a study, taking Maca lowers cortisol and ACTH, hormones associated with stress.

• Neuroprotective (macamide): Maca powder improves cognitive functions. This property results from a scientific study carried out on stroke patients, animals and elderly humans. The latter showed a reduction in oxidative stress, an anti-inflammatory action and an action on genetic material. Macamide would be the active compound responsible for the neuroprotective effect. It would delay cognitive decline and prevent neuronal dysfunction.

• Skin protector : Maca powder would improve and prevent skin damage caused by the sun's UV rays. In addition, it would accelerate the healing of wounds.

• Blood sugar control : Maca powder would reduce blood sugar by influencing insulinemia. Indeed, a study observes an increase in insulin content. Insulin is a hypoglycemic hormone.

• Mental tonic : Maca powder appears to improve memory and would be suitable for improving learning deficits.

• Anti-fatigue : Maca powder would bring physical improvement. It would stimulate the enzymatic activity of glutathione peroxidase and creatine kinase (two enzymes present inside cells, in the cytosol). This effect increases antioxidant capacity and accelerates the formation of ATP (energy), which helps delay the onset of fatigue symptoms.

• Laxative (fiber): Maca powder is rich in fiber. Fiber has the power to increase the mass of stools, which stimulates digestive transit.

• Hypocholesterolemic (fiber, low saturated fatty acid content): naturally low in saturated fatty acid and rich in fiber, Maca powder will fight against cholesterol disorders. It will reduce the absorption of cholesterol present in foods and promote the balance of cholesterol levels. In addition, a study carried out with Maca extracts shows that the latter would have "normalizing" effects on LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides.

• Hepatoprotector : a scientific study on mice suggests the potential hepatoprotective power of polysaccharides (carbohydrates) in Maca powder. Maca powder appears to alleviate alcohol-induced liver damage in mice.

Maca is a herbaceous plant from the bracicaceae family. It is found in South America: in Peru. It grows at high altitude, in the high plateaus of the Andes. Rocks, violent winds, little oxygen, capricious climate, strong UV radiation... The extreme weather conditions of this region are suitable for Maca.

Maca gives off a strong pungent odor, a characteristic of its botanical family (like cabbage, mustard or radish). Its leaves number 12 to 20, each about twenty centimeters long. They are isolated, simple and composed of small lobes. Small white flowers appear on the central stem. They are grouped in clusters and are hermaphroditic (they contain the male and female reproductive organs simultaneously.). The fruit is slightly wider than it is long. It has two compartments which contain a seed. The two seeds of each fruit are reddish.

Beneath the ground, Maca has a tubercular hypocotyl. This area looks like a large radish, that's the name of the part between the root and the leaves. The hypocotyl is of several colors depending on the variety: yellow, purple or black. Finally, Maca ends with a long, thick root and much finer secondary roots. It is the hypocotyl of Maca which has been consumed for a long time by Andean populations. They use it raw or dried for its nutritional and/or therapeutic properties. Maca is nicknamed "Peruvian ginseng" due to its adaptogenic power.