Health Benefits of Eating Maca
High up in the Andes mountains grows a plant called lepidium peruvianum. The roots of this plant, also called maca, are prized by the local farmers and villagers for their utility as food and as a medicinal herb. For over two thousand years, the special qualities of the maca plant’s roots have been sought out, all the way to the time of the ancient Incan civilization. So prized was maca for its energy and libido enhancing abilities that its use was reserved for only the members of the royal court. After the Spanish conquistadores took over the area, maca was exported back to Spain and used by the Spanish royalty for the same purposes. As the years went on, maca and its special qualities was forgotten by all but the indigenous people of the Andes, who still grew the plant and enjoyed its benefits.
This all changed in the 1960’s and 80’s, when teams of scientists from Germany and America rediscovered this unique functional food and its unique properties. Under scientific analysis, maca’s roots have been shown to contain large amounts of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential fatty acids. They also contain abundant quantities of vitamins B1, B12, and C. It is rich in the minerals iron, calcium, selenium, and magnesium, containing almost 60 different phyto-nutrients. Maca also contains significant amounts of p-methoxybenzyl, a known aphrodisiac. Maca has been classified by scientists into what they call an adaptogen. Adaptogens are natural foods or plant products that were beneficial to a person’s overall health without having any negative side-effects. Maca’s status as an adaptogen is reputed to be one of the things that help the indigenous people of the Andes Mountains survive in high altitudes with minimal oxygen.
The health benefits of maca are well documented. Its high nutrient content and its unique ability to stabilize and regulate the endocrine system have been validated repeatedly by scientific research. The endocrine system is what control of our body’s hormonal levels, making it responsible for many aspects of our health. Maca has been shown to boost the energy levels of people suffering from deficiencies of their adrenal glands, a component of the endocrine system. In boosting the body’s endocrine functions, maca also works to enhance the immune system, and may be used to help treat a whole host of conditions and diseases. It is recognized as a natural method of relieving the symptoms of menopause, including mood swings, night sweating, and hot flashes. By normalizing the body’s chemistry, maca has also been shown to help people deal with stress better, and relieving the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Maca’s endocrine system regulation also helps people afflicted with ailments of the thyroid and thymus glands, and has been shown to have the capability of reducing enlarged prostates.
What maca is mainly known and prized for is as an aphrodisiac. Its chemical composition and its unique regulation of the endocrine system have been shown to improve sexual desire and fertility in people, regardless of their gender. Clinical trials have shown that a diet with maca can boost a man’s libido, along with his semen quality and sperm count. Women who take maca also experienced an increased libido, along with decreased incidences of vaginal dryness, menstrual cramps and other reproductive problems. It has been shown to help in cases of sexual dysfunction. Maca achieves all these effects without directly affecting the amount of hormones in the body. It simply makes the endocrine system more efficient in how it uses the hormones we already have. Because of this, maca is considered a safe, all natural alternative to controversial hormone replacement therapy.
Maca may be eaten raw, but in most cases it is cooked, as it is easy to integrate into meals. Dried maca roots may be ground up into powder, which can then be mixed with flour for use in baking any number of breads or treats. Maca’s complex fibrous structure also lends itself to gelatinization. Maca consumed with water will turn to gel in the digestive system, where its fiber-rich structure will work to clean the intestines, promoting better nutrient absorption.
Because of its sheer nutrient content and medicinal benefits, maca has been hailed as a super food. It is all natural, and its use has no known negative side effects. Our maca powder is of the highest quality, derived only from plants grown organically high up in Peru’s Altiplano.
Read More Articles About Maca: Aphrodisiac |Hormonal Theraphy | Athletes and Elderly| History | How to Use Maca
Philippine customers click here
All rights reserved.