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By Chris Kilham
To investigate maca's health benefits and understand the role that maca plays in Peruvian culture, my wife and I headed down to Peru to explore the maca trail. In the process we met with maca traders, growers and scientists, and came back tremendously impressed by this plant, which is now available as a supplement in U.S. health food stores. What is Maca? During the height of the Incan empire, legend has it that Incan warriors would consume maca before entering into battle. This would make them fiercely strong. But after conquering a city the Incan soldiers were prohibited from using maca, to protect the conquered women from their powerful sexual impulses. Thus as far back as 500 years ago, maca's reputation for enhancing strength, libido and fertility was already well established in Peru. Today, maca's popularity is very much on the increase, as people discover that the plant really does boost libido, sexual function and overall energy. Acreage in Peru dedicated to Maca cultivation is increasing every year to meet demand, and a number of scientists have turned their attention to the properties of the root. In Peru, maca is used by men and by women who want to put more fire into their sex lives. And in the U.S., Europe and Japan, dietary supplements containing maca are gaining ardent devotees. Maca Nutrition To test this idea, researchers conducted a series of controlled animal
experiments, the results of which were published in the April 2000 issue of the
medical journal Urology. Rodents fed MacaPure extract, which contains a
concentration of macamides and macaenes, demonstrated greatly increased energy
and stamina. The animals also exhibited a striking increase in sexual activity
as compared with non-maca-fed animals, or those fed lesser amounts of macamides
and macaenes. So how does this translate to humans? Individuals who consume maca
also get sexual results. Men and women with low libido feel a boost in sexual
desire, and men with erectile problems notice marked improvement in sexual
function.
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The South American country of Peru is home to numerous beneficial plants,
including maca, a legendary sex-enhancing root passed down from the Inca. I'd
heard about maca for years. It has been dubbed "Peruvian ginseng,"
even though it bears no relation to ginseng. But like ginseng, the plant is
employed to increase strength, energy, stamina, libido and sexual function, a
winning combination of health benefits if there ever was one.