Properties and benefits of Peruvian maca
The properties of the Peruvian maca are many. The maca root, in fact, has many nutritional principles that bring countless benefits, affecting fertility problems, anxiety, stress and many other ailments.
Before discovering all the properties and benefits of Peruvian maca together, let's take a closer look! It is a plant of the Brassicaceae family, also called Andean maca. It has small dimensions, while its yellow or red root is very similar to a turnip: it has a round shape with a diameter of about 8 cm and can even reach 14 cm in length. The maca flowers are also yellow and small in size.
The Peruvian maca, as the name implies, is typical of the Andes and grows between 2500 and 5000 m in height, without fearing the large temperature ranges typical of the area. It also develops on poor and rocky soils, with very strong winds. Maca is not afraid of adverse conditions and its properties were already known to the pre-Columbian tribes, who considered it sacred, bringing it as a gift to the gods or using it in ritual ceremonies.
The properties of maca (and in particular its aphrodisiac properties, capable of improving fertility in both humans and animals) were first described by the friar Antonio Vásquez de Espinoza at the end of the 16th century. Unfortunately, it was only in the 1980s of the last century that interest in the miraculous properties of maca began again, which was not by chance called "the lost culture of the Incas".
Let's discover together its nutritional properties, the benefits it brings to our body, the methods of use and any contraindications!
Peruvian maca: nutritional properties
Peruvian maca is undoubtedly a real super-food! Its nutritional properties are very rich. It is a food with great adaptogenic properties, mainly due to the hostile environment in which it grows and develops, a soil rich in minerals.
Maca contains all essential amino acids for humans and is very rich in vitamins of group B, C and E. It has a strong protein content (proteins are about 14%) and mineral salts. Contains copper, iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc What more could you ask for?
Properties and benefits of the Peruvian maca: from the action on fertility to that on stress
The nutritional properties of maca that we have just listed have numerous benefits for our body. The Peruvian maca, first of all, turns out to be a real energizer: acting on the production of glucose, it helps to put it into circulation in case of physical or mental effort. It is therefore excellent in case of stress or fatigue to immediately feel invigorated and fit!
Maca also has anabolic properties: all thanks to its amino acids, capable of strengthening muscle mass. It is therefore a real natural cure-all if you carry out a "physical activity that requires a large consumption of energy!"
Vitamins and mineral salts also act on the nervous system. Maca is particularly beneficial in case of anemia or to strengthen the immune system: it helps prevent seasonal ailments, from coughs to colds.
But the property that makes maca particularly famous is its action on the hormonal system and the consequent influence on both male and female fertility. In the Peruvian tradition, maca is considered a real natural viagra! In fact, its intake helps women to stimulate the maturation of Graff's follicles and to enlarge the endometrium, while in men it leads to an increase in sperm production and improvement of its motility.
The action of maca on a hormonal level is also useful for women in combating menstrual pain, in decreasing the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome and in regulating the cycle. It can also be beneficial in case of menopause.
Last but not least, the Peruvian maca has antidepressant properties: it manages to reduce anxiety states, especially those related to hormonal imbalances. If you suffer from anxiety, you just have to try it ... and meanwhile always remember, as our video suggests: women with anxiety are the strongest of all!
How is Peruvian maca taken? How to use
Maca or, to be more precise, its root can be eaten fresh or dried. The Peruvian tradition would like it roasted or boiled, or dried and reduced in a kind of flour to be used in the kitchen, in the most varied recipes.
Unfortunately, with us it is not easy to find fresh and we are often satisfied with supplements (capsules, tablets, powdered extracts). With a little luck, you can find it dried and ground into a kind of flour in herbal medicine.
Maca root powder can be used to flavor milk or yogurt. Regarding the maximum recommended quantity, it should be kept between 5 and 20 g per day. It is always better, however, to ask the herbalist or pharmacist who sold it to you for advice!
You can also find maca online:
-buy the capsules on Amazon.
-buy the powder on amazon.
Contraindications of Peruvian maca
Peruvian maca has such powerful energetic properties that it is not recommended entirely if you suffer from hypertension or hyperthyroidism. It is also not recommended in case of pregnancy or breastfeeding, as well as for children and adolescents.
It must always be taken with caution and only when it is really needed because, if it is abused, it risks having the opposite effects to those hoped for and lead to insomnia, agitation, anxiety, even stomach pain and heartburn.
For more scientific information on the properties of maca, you can consult the Humanitas website.
