2. MACA
What is Maca root?
Maca or Maca Root is also called Peruvian Ginseng. It is native to the Peruvian Andes mountains in South America.
It has long been used for its traditional medicinal benefits.
One of the most recent benefits of Maca was discovered in a 2016 study when it was found that the root improves the quality of semen in infertile but otherwise healthy adult males.
Health Benefits of Maca
Maca root is available in many supermarket produce sections and health food stores. It has been shown in multiple studies to deliver several health benefits such as:
Menopausal Stress Relief
Women suffering from the stressful effects of menopause have reported that adding small amounts of Maca Root powder to their diet helps relieve anxiety, fatigue, and the overall unpleasantness of menopause.
Improves Mental Functioning
Maca has been proven to improve mental focus, memory, and has shown promise in delaying the onset of debilitating mental conditions and diseases.
Improves Overall Health
Maca contains iron which enriches the blood, lowering the risk of anemia. The natural vitamin content works to ward off illnesses, viruses, the flu, colds, etc. There are claims that Maca decreases the risk of prostate disease in males.
Relieves Depression
Maca naturally increases energy levels and encourages hormonal changes in order to improve mental outlook and mood. A number of individuals who have suffered from depression and who have taken Maca on a regular basis show improvement and outlook.
Increases Bone Density
Maca has been proven to increase bone density and strength. Many people believe that daily use of the root helps to prevent osteoporosis.
What's Maca Used For?
Maca is most commonly used in powder form once it has been harvested and dried.
The powder can be added to food or stirred into tea or soup.
It can even be fermented and brewed into a weak form of beer.
Maca root side effects
As you’ll see, there are relatively few side effects of maca. But that doesn’t mean you should start a regimen without talking to your healthcare provider.
We’re still learning when it comes to some traditional herbal treatments, and this superfood is no exception.
Many potential side effects and health benefits of maca root only have animal studies as support, so in some cases, we don’t know how the effect of Lepidium meyenii translates to human models.
