Maca is a hardy plant that grows at high altitudes in the Andean highlands of Peru. It has been used as a food and medicine by indigenous South Americans for more than 2000 years. Historical records suggest that one of the plant’s main uses was as a tonic to prepare men for battle—the herb supposedly increasing strength and vitality. Another widespread traditional use of maca, as was documented by the early Spanish visitors, was to improve the sexual health of the population—men, again, being the principal beneficiaries. Peruvian men of today continue to use maca, and, over the last decade, news of the plant’s efficacy has slowly filtered to other parts of the world, where enlightened health practitioners and their patients enjoy its many benefits.
Modern scientific analysis has revealed that maca contains a veritable warehouse of ingredients that are useful for men’s health. There are high levels of minerals, such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, as well as protein and amino acids—all of which are essential for building healthy bodies. There are plant sterols that are keenly sought as supplements by athletes who want to build muscle without resorting to the damaging side effects of anabolic steroids. Other phytochemicals, some of which are unique to maca, have been identified as being responsible for maca’s reputation as an aphrodisiac and as an agent to increase sexual potency and performance.
Maca has been termed an adaptogen, which refers to a substance that can normalize one or more of the body’s systems. In the case of maca, it acts on the hormonal system. Hormonal imbalance for men does not get as much press as it does for women. Nevertheless, for some men, male menopause (known as andropause) can be physically and emotionally significant. It occurs when testosterone levels become depleted, resulting in mood changes, a loss of energy, lowered sex drive and reduced physical agility. By balancing and strengthening the hormonal system.
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