The Peruvian aphrodisiac-Maca

Maca (Lepidium meyenii)

Maca has been used among indigenous people in the Andes region for centuries. Maca is a vegetable in the same family as broccoli. It is a reputed aphrodisiac and fertility enhancer.

Research has shown there is sound scientific basis for this belief. Maca improves libido while enhancing sperm production and sperm motility, according to recent research. And it achieves this without affecting male sex hormone levels.

In 2002, Peruvian researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study on a small group of men aged 21-56 years. Results showed that maca improved subjective reports of male sexual desire versus placebo. Subjects consumed either 1,500 mg or 3,000 mg maca, or placebo, for three months. After eight weeks, improvements were noted in sexual desire among the subjects who consumed maca.

In late 2008, investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital conducted a double-blind, randomized, parallel group study of two different doses of maca for the treatment of sexual dysfunction related to the use of the selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of modern antidepressant drugs20 (such as Prozac®, Zoloft®, or Paxil®). SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, in the form of severely depressed libido among women, and inability to achieve orgasm among men, is a common side effect of these antidepressants.
Male and female subjects receiving 3,000 mg maca per day experienced a significant improvement in a standardized score of sexual function, while subjects taking placebo did not. “Maca root may alleviate SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction,” concluded researchers, “and there may be a dose-related effect. Maca may also have a beneficial effect on libido.” Importantly, maca was well tolerated by all subjects.

In addition to improving sexual desire, semen quantity, and sperm quality in human males, maca has also repeatedly been shown to reduce prostate enlargement among animals with experimentally induced prostate enlargement. In one experiment, maca reduced prostate enlargement as effectively as a common drug used in men for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Interestingly, maca has also been shown to significantly improve glucose tolerance, antioxidant levels, and lipid profiles among rodents with a hereditary tendency to develop abnormally high blood triglyceride levels. Despite their genetically abnormal lipid profiles, rats given maca while consuming a sugar-rich diet experienced significant improvements in a number of parameters related to cardiovascular disease risk, including lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and increased levels of the potent natural antioxidants, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase.

“Results demonstrate that maca seems to be promising for a positive influence on chronic human diseases (characterized by atherogenous lipoprotein profile, aggravated antioxidative status, and impaired glucose tolerance), and their prevention,” researchers concluded.

-Excerpted from Life Extension Magazine, December 2008 issue (link)