At the height of their empire, Incan warriors consumed maca before battle, believing it would give them strength. However, legend has it they were prohibited from taking it after conquering a city in order to protect the women from their strong sexual impulses… As many of us have heard—Peruvian maca is the new thing. However, this isn’t a trend we are talking about; this is a renewed discovery. The maca root is a native Peruvian plant that grows in the tropical Andes, dating back to approximately 3800 B.C. Maca is still regarded as a potent sexual stimulant today.
Resembling a small rough stone the size of a walnut, Peruvian maca is a powerful energy booster that that can be used to boost libido, increase fertility, treat erectile dysfunction and the symptoms of menopause, improve concentration and memory, and enhance workout performance by increasing strength and endurance.
The Peruvian maca root is a family of 13 varieties in which only three have been researched: black, yellow, and red.
The black variety is known best for its ability in producing mental clarity, increasing memory and sperm production, and decreasing anxiety and depression.
The yellow, most common, maca root has shown to control blood glucose levels, increase fertility, and regulate hormones.
Red maca is the rarest of the three and has been shown to protect the body against prostate cancer and while also displaying a strong protective effect on bone structure and density.
The Peruvian maca root is widely understood has a root of energy. So where is this powerful energy coming from? Though not entirely clear as to how Peruvian maca increases one’s energy, two popular hypotheses exist. The first suggests Peruvian maca does so by allowing the body to increase its efficiency of oxygen consumption. Surges of oxygen naturally awaken the body and mind; allowing us to think clearer and move for longer throughout the day. Another hypothesis states that regular consumption of Peruvian maca nourishes and regulates the pituitary gland (the Motherland of hormone secretion), which in turn creates homeostasis and allows the body to work more efficiently. When the body is balanced, stimulation of its own ability to energize is effective! However, no matter the hypothesis of how Peruvian maca works, it has been shown again and again that maca increases energy.
The Peruvian maca root is often too tough to eat alone, making the gelatinized and extract forms the popular go-to for consumption.
Click here to see how Peruvian maca can be used as a pre-workout supplement! Pair it with cacao powder and you have yourself a delicious duo.
