Often called “Peruvian Ginseng”, Maca (Lepidium meyenii, syn. L. peruvianum) is a herbaceous biennial in the Brassicaceae family (the same botanical family as the humble radish) endemic to the high Andes.
Resembling a yellow beet (though cultivars range from golden to deep purple and black), Maca is harvested for its swollen hypocotyl, a nutrient‑dense storage organ that sustained Andean communities for centuries and is now revered as a modern superfood.
The young leaves are also edible, raw or cooked, with a peppery, cress‑like flavor, and serve as nutritious fodder for alpaca and other high‑altitude livestock.
Historians have even speculated that the generous inclusion of Maca in traditional diets may partly explain the robust stature of Andean highlanders living in harsh, oxygen‑poor environments.
In traditional Andean food culture, dried Maca hypocotyls are rehydrated and simmered into porridges and soups or baked into festive dishes to build stamina, support fertility, and fortify against the cold. These roots were historically traded down‑slope for grains and other staples, valued as both food and medicine.
➡️ Today, Maca is enjoyed as a powdered “superfood” and adaptogenic ally, a plant that helps the body adapt to physical and emotional stress. Emerging data support benefits for energy, fatigue, mood, and stress resilience. Like many adaptogens, its effects extend to reproductive health: early clinical work suggests support for both female and male fertility.
For women, Maca is used for hormonal support, especially in cases of low estrogen. Some trials with standardized preparations report modest increases in estradiol and reductions in FSH, prompting clinicians to use Maca as a gentle hormone‑modulating food rather than a replacement therapy.
In men, Maca is known for enhancing libido and fertility, improving sexual desire and semen parameters (count, motility, morphology) without reliably raising testosterone. Some evidence hints at modest improvements in testosterone and fertility markers in men with low baseline levels.
Across studies, Maca shows a wide spectrum of actions, such as reproductive, immunomodulatory, antifatigue, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, digestive, and even potential anticancer effects.
➡️ A distinctive class of fatty acid derivatives called macamides likely underlies many of these effects. Structurally similar to the body’s own endocannabinoids, macamides may inhibit FAAH, the enzyme that degrades anandamide, and also influence CB1 receptor signaling in the brain. By slowing endocannabinoid breakdown and subtly tuning CB1 activity, macamides may help modulate mood, motivation, energy, and arousal, bridging Maca’s traditional reputation for vigor and fertility with its modern role in stress and vitality support.
Maca: Staple Radish with Big Benefits
