Maca Powder

Dawn Stuart, a Bowen Therapist from Invercargill gives a first hand account of the power of a remarkable health supplement. Following her recent trip to South America she has no hesitation in naming. . .

Maca Root – the Peruvian ‘miracle’ food

The humble, Maca root has grown wild in the Peruvian Andes for many centuries.  When I visited the area in 2006, it was noticeable by the diverse plant life that the soil was rich in nutrients even if the altitude left us gasping due to low levels of oxygen. The plateaus where Maca is grown are above 14,000 feet.

Native Peruvians have used Maca, a root vegetable shaped like a radish, for several thousand years as a food item, and medicinally to enhance fertility, for libido, energy and other medicinal uses. 

During the height of the Incan empire, legend has it that warriors would consume Maca before entering battle. This made them fiercely strong.  But after conquering a city the Incan soldiers were prohibited from using Maca, to protect the conquered women from their powerful sexual impulses – yes many believe Maca to be Mother Nature’s most reliable aphrodisiac. 

In the 1960s and later in the 1980s, German and North American scientists researching botanicals in Peru, rekindled interest in Maca through nutritional analyses of what was designated as “the lost crops of the Andes”.

In 1979 the Institute of Nutrition in Lima released the following nutritional data. 

The nutritional value of Maca

• Proteins, in the form of polypeptides make up 11% of the dry Maca root. 
• Calcium makes up 10% of Maca’s mineral count.
• Magnesium and potassium are also present in significant amounts. 
• Other Maca minerals include iron, silica, and traces of iodine, manganese, zinc, copper, and sodium. 
• Starch, a hexosane polysaccharide in Maca, contains the triple minerals calcium, phosphorus, and iron. 
• Vitamins found in Maca include thiamin, riboflavin and ascorbic acid. 
• Carbohydrates, coming from Maca’s cellulose and lignin, are polyholosides. 
• Amino acid-proteins in Maca include aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, histidine, glycine, threonine, cystine, alanine, arginine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, lysine, tryptophan, proline, hoproline, and sarcosine.

What doctors are saying

Maca has been traditionally used as an aphrodisiac for both men and women. It increases energy, vitality, stamina and endurance in athletes, and promotes mental clarity

.In treating male impotence and erectile dysfunction, and for female menstrual irregularities and hormone imbalances Maca is second to none. 

In the November, 1988 Townsend Letter for Doctors, physicians were quoted regarding the therapeutic uses of Maca.  Dr Hugo Malaspina, MD, a cardiologist practicing complementary medicine in Lima said, “Maca regulates the organs of internal secretion, such as the pituitary, the adrenal glands and the pancreas. I’ve had perhaps 200 female patients whose menopausal symptoms are alleviated by taking maca”. 

Garry F. Gordon, MD, a physician in Arizona said, "We all hear rumours about products like Maca. But using this Peruvian root myself, I personally experienced a significant improvement in erectile tissue response. I call it "nature's answer to Viagra". 

Studies have shown that Maca reduces anxiety and stress, hot flushes, enhances memory and mental ability, alleviates chronic fatigue, aids healthy teeth and bones, and is non-addictive. 

Highly recommended 

Australian author and health campaigner Elaine Hollingsworth has received many glowing testimonials from readers of her book Take Control of your Health, who have taken the advice and added Maca to their diet.  Chapter 1 of her book is available for free 'Click Here'

Nutty flavour

As Maca is a food, the amount taken varies in order to gain the results desired.  Some people notice beneficial effects within two weeks while others might take a little longer, perhaps up to three months.  Maca has a slightly nutty flavour, and can be added to smoothies, porridge, teas, coffees, biscuits, blender drinks, desserts etc.  The Peruvian “miracle” food has certainly stood the test of time – over 10,000 years.

A summary

Mother Nature cannot be improved on. As the medical profession struggles to keep a lid on the raft of ailments that now trouble the human condition once again Mother Nature has the answer - Maca powder, give it a try.

100% Pure Organically Grown Peruvian Maca Powder is
available from BodyTech NZ in a 350g pack.

Price: NZ$75 plus P & H  

For details on how to use Maca ‘Click Here'