I have had a surge of patients come to see me recently who have either been taking maca or want to know if they should be. So what is this stuff?
What is maca?
Maca is a root native to Peru, popularized as a male sexual tonic. It is available in the U.S. as pills, powders, and liquid, although traditionally it was used as a food by the people of the Andes.
What the research says
In several small studies, maca has been shown to increase sexual desire in men and improve semen count, motility, and quality. It has a testosterone-like effect, but it has not been shown to directly impact a person's estrogen or testosterone levels. It has been shown to alter sex hormones in rats. It has not been shown to cause toxicity in humans when taken at the recommended dose of 450 mg/day.
It seems everyone wants a natural alternative to Viagra. Since maca benefits sperm and has some antioxidant properties, it has become a big seller in health food stores.
Who should not take it
While maca has not been shown to affect hormone levels directly, it does cause a reaction similar to an increase in testosterone. This is fine for many men. But I do not want a patient trying to get pregnant having a reaction that mimics a man's hormonal pattern.
In Chinese medicine, women should run cooler than men. When the body is out of balance — as in perimenopause — a woman tends to run hotter. For a woman trying to conceive, having symptoms that mimic menopause works against her. The level of imbalance I have seen maca cause in the wrong patient can actively work against the problem she is trying to solve.
Do not misunderstand me: maca is great. There are women in my practice I have recommended it to. I am just saying it is not for everyone. If you are trying to conceive or dealing with perimenopause or menopause symptoms, please consult a practitioner before starting it.
This kind of nuance — knowing which supplement helps which patient in which phase — is exactly the kind of thing we work through in a consultation.