Maca

Maca

What is it?

• Maca is a herbaceous plant.

How does it work in the body?

• Some studies have shown that maca has a hormonal effect on post-menopausal women and healthy adult males. When taken, maca can stimulate luteinizing hormone, inhibit the production of follicle stimulating hormone, and allow for the production of androgen. This process can in turn, improve sexual function.

What is it used for?

• While more research is needed, maca can be used to improve stamina and sexual functioning in post-menopausal women. Further research is still needed for the claims of treating infertility [1].

Precautions/side effects:

• Maca should not be used in those with hormone-sensitive cancers. Side effects can include disruption in menstrual cycles, mood, sleep, and GI upset [1].

Evidence for and against:

• One systematic review by Shin et al. concluded that more research is needed to determine the exact effectiveness of maca on the improvement of sexual function. Two of the randomized control trials studied did show a positive significant effect on sexual dysfunction; however, two additional studies did not show any clinically significant effect [1, 2].

• A meta-analysis studied the effect of maca on sexual function. Of the studies, three main groups of subjects were included: post-menopausal women, healthy men, men with erectile dysfunction and a small group of male athletes. It was concluded that the current data for supplementation of maca is insufficient. Further research is needed to clinically support the prescription of maca supplementation for sexual function [4].

Dosage:

• The recommended dosage of maca is pending more research. However, one double blind randomized study showed a significant improvement in sexual dysfunction when taking 3 g/day.

Adverse effects:

• No comprehensive studies have shown definitive adverse side effects of maca supplementation .

Interactions:

• There are no known significant medication interactions with maca supple-mentation.