The Peruvian Maca (Lepidium peruvianum G.Chacón, or Lepidum meyenii Walpers) is a plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family.
Also known as Andean Ginseng or Peruvian Ginseng, theand pre-Columbian tribes considered it a true gift from the gods, and even today its root is used for health and well-being and as a Superfood.
Let's discover it together.
Maca, what is it?
The Andean Maca, also known as Peruvian Maca, Peruvian maca and Peruvian ginseng, is a plant from the Brassicaceae.
Its botanical name is Lepidium meyenii and it is a small herbaceous plant, considered perennial because of its storage roots, and belongs to the cruciferous family (like cabbage, turnip, horseradish, radish, etc…)
Maca is cultivated as an annual plant and harvested after approximately 7-9 months after being planted.
Its ideal habitat is on hostile, generally poor and rocky terrain with little oxygen, but it is also able to adapt to adverse weather conditions, such as strong winds and significant temperature fluctuations, intense sunlight during the day and very cold temperatures at night.
Its root, a turnip-like tuber about 5-7 cm in size, is edible and is used mainly for its numerous beneficial properties.
Peruvian Maca: where does it grow?
Maca originates in the Andes, more precisely in the Andes mountain range of Peru and Bolivia, at a considerable altitude, between 2,500 and 5,000 metres above sea level.
Maca Supplement
The Peruvian Maca-based Food Supplements are increasingly sought after, both in pharmacies and herbalist shops and through online sales channels.
You can find pure Maca supplements, containing only Maca root powder, or supplements containing various ingredients, including Maca.
These supplements, in fact, thanks to the presence of Maca, can boast these properties:
- Useful for Metabolic Support
- Useful as a Tonic – Adaptogen
- Useful in cases of Physical and Mental fatigue
All these claims are regulated and approved by the Italian Ministry of Health for their physiological effects, intended to “optimize the body's functions within homeostasis.”
The Properties of Maca:
The drug, the plant or part of a plant used after being suitably processed, of the Maca plant consists of its root.
The root is in fact rich of essential amino acids (10,2%), mineral salts (calcium, iron, selenium, iodine, potassium, copper and zinc), vitamins (vitvitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C and B vitamins), carbohydrates, acids fats and fiber.
Maca also contains alkaloids, alkamides, unsaturated fatty acids, and glucosinolates.
By virtue of its richness in macro- and micronutrients, the Maca has considerable nutritional value, comparable for Peruvian populations to that of our cereals.
In Italy, the dried root of Lepidium, it is used mainly for its adaptogenic, immunostimulant , antioxidant and aphrodisiac.
The Benefits of Maca:
Thanks to its components and active ingredients, Maca is attributed beneficial anti-stress and anti-fatigue, excellent when facing intense periods of work and physical exertion.
Its Tonic – Adaptogenic action is in fact able to adapt the body to the different external conditions in which it finds itself, as well as being useful for strengthen the immune system, helping the body prevent and combat flu-like and febrile conditions, coughs, and colds.
Maca is also considered a Natural Aphrodisiac: it would seem that the phytosterols in maca actually help promote in men an increase in sperm count and motility.
The positive effects of maca they also have a hypotensive and hypoglycemic effect, useful in cases of high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar, and is also considered a antioxidant and anti-aging supplement.
Organic Maca:
There are also supplements on the market based on Certified Organic Maca, grown in compliance with a high quality standard, within a sustainable agricultural system that respects animals and soil, through the use of natural resources.
This means applying a production method aimed at sustainability and the protection of the environment, the land and natural resources. A product is defined as organic when its production processes involve the exclusive use of organic materials, provided that they also comply with the organic standard. GMOs are prohibited (genetically modified organisms), as are chemical substances such as pesticides, fertilizers, additives and antibiotics.
Maca Contraindications:
The Peruvian Maca is considered safe but its use is contraindicated in cases of hypersensitivity or allergies to any of its components, in cases of hormone-sensitive conditions and liver disorders. The plant is also contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
At normal doses, Peruvian maca is considered a food and a ssafe supplement.
There are therefore no particular side effects of maca.
BioMaca: Organic Food Supplement based on MACA
Our BioMaca supplement in capsules contains Peruvian Maca root, which VonDerWeid imports from Peru after a careful and rigorous selection of producers.
As it is organically certified, it has a higher quality standard than conventional products.
It is sold in many herbalist shops and pharmacies in Italy → https://aloevonderweid.com/trova-punto-vendita/
