1. Origin

Maca, botanically known as Lepidium meyenii, is a plant that has grown for centuries on the high Andean plateaus of Peru. These regions sit at impressive elevations, where the air is thin and less oxygen is available than at sea level. Because of the thinner atmosphere, the sun is more intense and wind moves unimpeded across the bare mountain slopes. In this harsh environment, maca developed remarkable resilience. The root functions as a natural storage organ in which the plant accumulates nutrients, sugars, and bioactive compounds in order to survive in conditions where few other plants thrive. Bioactive compounds are substances that can influence processes in the human body.

This intense environment has contributed to the root's rich composition. When a plant is continually exposed to extreme cold, strong UV radiation, and limited nutrients, it develops protective mechanisms. Research into these mechanisms has, among other things, focused on higher concentrations of antioxidants, minerals, and other compounds. Antioxidants are substances that help neutralize free radicals, small reactive molecules that can damage cells when present in large amounts.

Indigenous communities have used maca for more than two thousand years as a food source and as part of traditional medicine. Traditional medicine refers to knowledge passed down from generation to generation, based on observation, experience, and the use of natural remedies. Within these traditions, maca was viewed as a plant that could support the body during physical exertion, emotional strain, and harsh environmental conditions. It is important to note here that traditional use is not scientific proof of efficacy; it reflects inherited experience rather than an established outcome.

The root was eaten by people who traveled long distances through the mountains, by travelers who were on the road for days at a time, and by laborers performing heavy work at high altitude. In this context, maca grew into a symbol of strength, perseverance, and vitality within Peruvian culture.

Maca's reputation did not arise by chance, but is the result of centuries of interaction between people and nature. Today, more and more people combine maca with a lifestyle in which nutrition, movement, and daily choices play a central role. Even so, maca is not a miracle cure. The root functions only as a complement to a lifestyle in which nutrition, sleep, and movement are already well established.

Sources:

• Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands — PMC — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3184420/

• Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Peruvian Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) — Springer Nature Link — https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-031-29006-0_46-1

• Exploring the Chemical and Pharmacological Variability of Lepidium meyenii: A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Maca — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10910417/

2. Distribution

Although maca was cultivated exclusively in Peru for centuries, the plant has spread around the world in recent decades. This shift is tied to growing interest in natural foods and traditional remedies. As more people began asking what nutrition could mean for their health, interest in these types of products increased.

This growing interest has led maca cultivation to expand into other regions, including parts of Asia where similar high-altitude agricultural zones have been established. By recreating these conditions, growers aim to approximate the environment of the original Peruvian maca as closely as possible, since factors such as elevation, temperature, sunlight, and soil quality influence the plant's composition.

Maca's worldwide spread is tied to increasing attention paid to plants being studied for possible adaptogenic properties. An adaptogen is a natural substance being researched for a possible contribution to coping with stress. It is important to emphasize that scientific research into adaptogens is still very much developing: there is no recognized EU health claim for this classification, and many questions remain unanswered about the exact effect, optimal dosage, and long-term effects.

Sources:

• Exploring the Chemical and Pharmacological Variability of Lepidium meyenii: A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Maca — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10910417/

• Effect of Day Length on Growth and Root Morphology of Yellow Maca (Lepidium meyenii) Seedlings — https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/13/2/8

3. Research on Maca

3.1 Sexual Health

Maca has been linked to sexual health for centuries: the interplay of physical, hormonal, and emotional factors that determine how a person functions sexually and how they feel in that experience. In traditional cultures, maca was seen as a root that could strengthen the body, an idea that arose because people felt more energetic and balanced when using the root.

Scientific research has focused primarily on libido, the medical term for sexual desire. A systematic review of randomized clinical trials found, among four trials meeting the inclusion criteria, indications of a possible positive effect of maca on sexual dysfunction or sexual desire in healthy postmenopausal women and healthy adult men, while another trial showed no effect in healthy cyclists. The authors concluded that the evidence is limited: the number of trials, sample size, and methodological quality were insufficient to draw firm conclusions, and called for more rigorous research.

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy men found an improvement in self-reported sexual desire after eight and twelve weeks of maca use, while serum testosterone and estradiol levels did not differ between the maca and placebo groups. This trial therefore explicitly concluded that the observed effect on libido could not be explained by a change in testosterone level.

Under the EU regulation on nutrition and health claims (Regulation 432/2012), there is no approved claim that directly links maca or its plant compounds to sexual function. The findings above are research results, not confirmed or approved health effects.

Sources:

• Maca (L. meyenii) for Improving Sexual Function: A Systematic Review — PMC — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2928177/

• Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on Sexual Desire and Its Absent Relationship with Serum Testosterone Levels in Adult Healthy Men — PubMed — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12472620/

• Maca (L. meyenii) for Improving Sexual Function: A Systematic Review — BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, Springer Nature Link — https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1472-6882-10-44

3.2 Menopause

During menopause, the life stage in which menstruation permanently stops as the ovaries produce less estrogen, the body undergoes changes that can be felt both physically and emotionally. Women may experience hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep problems during this time.

A small, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial in early postmenopausal women measured, after two and eight months of gelatinized maca root powder use, a significant decrease in FSH and a significant increase in LH, with an increase in estrogen and progesterone after eight months relative to placebo. A systematic review of four randomized trials on maca and menopausal symptoms concluded that all four trials showed favorable effects on the Kupperman and Greene climacteric scores, but also noted that the number of trials, sample size, and methodological quality were too limited to draw firm conclusions, and that safety had not yet been adequately demonstrated.

Here too: there is no EU-approved health claim linking maca to relief of menopausal symptoms. These findings are scientifically interesting but should not be presented as a confirmed effect.

Sources:

• Use of Gelatinized Maca (Lepidium Peruvianum) in Early Postmenopausal Women — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614576/

• Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms: A Systematic Review — PubMed — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21840656/

• Exploring the Chemical and Pharmacological Variability of Lepidium meyenii: A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Maca — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10910417/

3.3 Energy and Physical Performance

Maca has been used for centuries by people performing heavy labor at high altitude in the Andes. Most of the scientific research on maca's role in energy and physical performance, however, has been conducted in animals, particularly mice, rather than in humans.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis brought together twenty-one studies on the effects of maca on physical performance in animals and humans. The researchers reported large effects on measures such as swim time to exhaustion, grip strength, and blood lactate levels, and concluded that the phytochemical compounds in maca, particularly macamides, may increase physical performance. Most of the underlying studies in this review were animal experiments.

A separate study in mice found that maca improved cognitive function, motor coordination, and endurance capacity in middle-aged mice, along with an increase in mitochondrial respiratory function in the cortex. This research was conducted in animals; the results cannot be directly translated to human physiology.

In humans, research has focused mainly on athletes. A small pilot study in eight trained cyclists found an improvement in 40-kilometer time-trial performance after fourteen days of maca extract use compared with baseline, although the difference from the placebo group after the intervention was not significant. A human trial in twenty healthy men examining twelve weeks of maca extract use found no significant differences in muscle damage markers or measures of aerobic capacity, although the rise in creatine kinase in the maca group appeared smaller than in the placebo group.

As with the other sections, there is no EU-approved health claim directly linking maca to energy levels or physical performance in humans.

Sources:

• Effects of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on Physical Performance in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — PMC — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11723211/

• Preservation of Cognitive Function by Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Is Associated with Improvement of Mitochondrial Activity and Upregulation of Autophagy-Related Proteins in Middle-Aged Mouse Cortex — PubMed (Animal Study) — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5018343/

• A Pilot Investigation into the Effect of Maca Supplementation on Physical Activity and Sexual Desire in Sportsmen — PubMed — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19781622/

• Effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Extract Supplementation on Oxidative Stress, Muscle Damage, and Aerobic Capacity After Exhaustive Endurance Exercise — Isokinetics and Exercise Science, 2024 — https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/IES-240006

3.4 Endurance

In the Andes, maca was traditionally used by herders, farmers, and travelers who covered long distances on foot each day across mountainous terrain, where the body must work harder in thin air to transport enough oxygen to the muscles. This experience was passed down from generation to generation.

Research on maca's role in endurance has been conducted mostly in animal models. One study in mice found that maca powder and the water-soluble polysaccharides derived from maca could extend hypoxia tolerance and swim time to exhaustion in mice, and could optimize blood values such as lactate. This type of research is valuable as an early signal, but it involves animal models rather than research in humans.

In humans, the picture is more mixed. The 2024 meta-analysis mentioned above found large pooled effects across animal and human studies combined, but the share of well-controlled human studies is limited. The study in twenty healthy men who received twelve weeks of maca extract or placebo found no significant differences in aerobic capacity after exhaustive exercise between the two groups.

For endurance in humans, the current evidence is therefore mostly preclinical (animal-based), with a small number of small-scale human studies showing mixed or neutral results. There is no EU-approved claim linking maca to improved endurance.

Sources:

• Exploring the Chemical and Pharmacological Variability of Lepidium meyenii: A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Maca — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10910417/

• Effects of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on Physical Performance in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11723211/

• A Pilot Investigation into the Effect of Maca Supplementation on Physical Activity and Sexual Desire in Sportsmen — PubMed — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19781622/

• Hypoxia Tolerance and Fatigue Relief Produced by Lepidium meyenii and Its Water-Soluble Polysaccharide in Mice (Animal Study) — https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/fstr/22/5/22_611/_article

• Effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Extract Supplementation on Oxidative Stress, Muscle Damage, and Aerobic Capacity After Exhaustive Endurance Exercise, 2024 — https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3233/IES-240006

4. Nutrient Profile of Maca (Plant and Root)

• Carbohydrates (approximately 55–60 percent)

• Fiber (approximately 8–10 percent)

• Plant-based protein (approximately 9–16 percent in dried maca)

• Essential amino acids (including leucine, lysine, valine, isoleucine, and arginine)

• Minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, potassium, and sodium)

• Free fatty acids (including linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid)

• Glucosinolates (sulfur-containing plant compounds characteristic of the Brassicaceae family)

• Sterols (plant sterols in small amounts)

• Macamides and macaenes (bioactive compounds specific to maca)

• Anthocyanins (especially in purple and black maca)

• Alkaloids and tannins (secondary plant compounds)

Note: none of these plant compounds (macamides, glucosinolates, anthocyanins) has an approved EU health claim. Minerals such as iron, magnesium, and zinc do have approved claims, but only in relation to the mineral itself and the amount a food actually provides, not to maca as a whole.

Sources:

• Maca (Lepidium meyenii) as a Functional Food and Dietary Supplement: A Review on Analytical Studies — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12840177/

• Chemical Composition and Health Effects of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30902313/

• Exploring the Chemical and Pharmacological Variability of Lepidium meyenii: A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Maca — PubMed — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10910417/

5. Risks and Side Effects

Maca is generally considered safe when consumed in typical amounts, but as with any natural substance, the body can respond differently from person to person. These reactions do not necessarily reflect the plant itself, but may relate to individual sensitivity, hormonal status, or digestive function.

Possible side effects reported in the literature include mood changes, digestive discomfort such as bloating or mild abdominal pain, muscle cramps, sleep problems, and changes in the menstrual cycle. These symptoms tend to occur when the body needs time to adjust to new nutrients and bioactive compounds.

It is advised to avoid consuming raw maca, since this may increase the likelihood of digestive discomfort. When maca is heated or processed, certain compounds that are difficult to digest are broken down, making the root gentler on the stomach and intestines.

For people with sensitive digestion or a hormonal condition, it is wise to seek medical advice if there is any doubt. Not because maca is dangerous, but because every body is unique.

Sources:

• Exploring the Chemical and Pharmacological Variability of Lepidium meyenii: A Comprehensive Review of the Effects of Maca — PMC — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10910417/

• Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms: A Systematic Review — PubMed — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21840656/

As a Final Note

Maca shows how interesting a simple, natural food can be when approached with a clear understanding of the evidence. This root from the Andes is not a miracle cure, but a plant with a rich tradition and a nutrient profile that is being studied scientifically across a range of areas: from sexual health to physical performance and menopausal symptoms.

It is important to distinguish between traditional use, preclinical research in animals, and clinical research in humans. Much of the evidence for maca remains at an early stage, with small study groups and mixed results. Under European regulation, there is no approved health claim that directly links maca to a specific health effect.

Anyone interested in maca would do well to view it as part of a broader pattern of nutrition, sleep, and movement, rather than a substitute for it. Scientific interest in the root continues to grow, and future research will need to determine which of today's findings hold up under larger and more rigorous studies in humans.