What Does Maca Powder Do For You? | Health & Wellbeing

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Maca powder or maca extract is the crushed root of the maca plant (Lepidium meyenii). Several studies have shown that organic maca root powder can significantly benefit the body. In this article, we’re exploring what maca powder does for you and different ways to use it.

What is maca powder?

Maca root is a Peruvian plant that grows in the harsh Andes Mountains and has been used for centuries for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Organic maca powder also goes by the name Peruvian ginseng, although it isn’t actually related to ginseng. It has an earthy butterscotch flavour with nutty undertones and smells lightly of caramel.

Maca powder is considered a superfood because it’s extremely nutrient-dense and contains essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.

What does maca powder do for your body?

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Maca root supplement is extraordinarily good for the body and can enhance health in multiple ways.

Maca root powder may improve your energy

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Maca root extract has been known to improve energy and reduce fatigue during exercise. A 2021 study found that maca powder lowered lactic acid buildup and muscle fatigue.

Lactic acid is released during exercise when glucose breaks down for energy. While this is useful, too much of the acid can cause what’s commonly known as a stitch (sharp pain around the abdomen area). Lowering lactic acid levels means you can exercise longer without getting a stitch and still benefit from glucose for energy.

Another 2022 study discovered that maca extract containing benzyl glucosinolate significantly improved energy levels in women. Therefore, a maca supplement could benefit you if you regularly exercise or want to reduce fatigue.

Maca powder may reduce symptoms of menopause

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Menopause is when people who menstruate no longer have their periods, and it usually happens between the ages of 45-52. Hot flashes, anxiety, low mood, trouble sleeping, sexual dysfunction, and memory problems often accompany the change.

Research has shown that using maca powder as a complementary medicine to reduce menopausal symptoms may be effective. A 2005 study found that women felt a decrease in menopausal discomfort after 2 months of maca supplements.

Maca extract may improve fertility and increase libido

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Peruvians have long-used maca root fertility and prescribed the root as a sexual regulation treatment. A 2015 study found that women with antidepressant-induced sexual dysregulation experienced improved libido and sexual functioning after 12 weeks of maca powder supplementation.

A 2019 study concluded that maca and chia seeds can potentially improve erectile dysfunction in mice. This was followed by a 2022 study, which indicated that just 2 grams of maca powder for 12 weeks can significantly improve sperm concentration.

Maca root extract may relieve stress

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Stress is a part of life, but it can cause sleep issues and mood disorders. Maca root powder is an adaptogen - a natural substance that increases stress resilience. A 2019 review of maca suggests that maca supplements hold the potential to regulate chronic stress by balancing overactive stress hormones.

Additional complementary ways to reduce stress include regular meditation, yoga, getting enough sunlight, socialisation, and reaching out for support.

Maca powder may have anti-depressant effects

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Depression is a mood disorder when a person consistently experiences a low mood, lethargy, social withdrawal, and loss of interest in hobbies for 2 weeks or more. It can induce negative thinking and impact sleep, appetite, and sexual functioning. Many things, including stressful life events and medications, can trigger depression.

A 2014 study found that natural maca reduced cortisol levels and increased dopamine (your happy hormone) in mice with mild depression. It also lowered oxidative stress in the brain (a sign of active depression). Another 2014 study reported that 12 weeks of maca supplements may lower depression in postmenopausal women.

Maca extract may lower inflammation

Inflammation is an autoimmune effect when cells swell to start the healing process for injuries or expel anything stuck in your body. For example, when you get a splinter, the skin around it becomes red and inflamed. That’s because the cells are swelling to push the splinter out so your body can heal.

Although inflammation has a purpose, chronic inflammation can do a great deal of damage. For example, stress, lack of sleep, and high-sugar diets can trigger chronic inflammation. When the cells are swollen for too long, it can cause stomach issues, slow blood circulation, mood disturbances, acne, and hair loss.

A 2019 study demonstrated that maca extract can reduce cortisol to combat inflammation. A 2021 study found that maca can lower inflammation in the brain, and a 2022 study showed that maca powder may reduce oxidative stress, which is often triggered by inflamed cells.

Maca powder may have antioxidant effects

Antioxidants are molecules that protect your cells from destructive atoms called free radicals. Free radicals are unstable and, as a result, attack cells, breaking down collagen, triggering inflammation, and can cause cancer.

Radical damage, or oxidative stress, appears as premature wrinkles, joint pain, fatigue, gut issues, poor heart health, and cognitive dysfunction. Antioxidants defend your cells by neutralising or ‘stabilising’ the harmful atom to prevent it from causing damage.

2021 research uncovered that antioxidant activity increased when participants took maca powder and inhibited cancerous cells. A 2022 study concluded that maca can reduce damaging oxidative stress while improving energy levels. Another 2019 study found that crushed maca leaves and maca powder provided high antioxidant protection.

Best ways to use maca powder

The best maca root powder can be added to multiple recipes for significant health benefits. Below are our five favourite ways to use maca powder:

Make maca coffee powder.
Bake maca powder muffins.
Sprinkle organic maca powder into your porridge.
Add maca powder sweetness to your smoothie.
Experiment with organic maca powder extract dessert recipes.

Get the best maca powder with Grape Tree

The best maca supplement needs to be high-quality, tasty, and nutritionally dense for maximum benefits. Grape Tree Organic Maca Root Powder is all of those things and more. Check it out today and start your maca root extract journey with Grape Tree.

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