Maca
A root from the high plateaus of Peru. It indeed improves sexual desire in several trials — but without affecting testosterone, contrary to what its marketing suggests.
Benefits
- Improves sexual desire in healthy men, starting from the eighth week and without any change in testosterone or oestradiol (1,500 to 3,000 mg per day)
- In 50 men suffering from mild erectile dysfunction, 2,400 mg per day for 12 weeks improves the erectile function score and psychological well-being more than placebo
- In postmenopausal women, reduces anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction — independently of any estrogenic or androgenic activity (3.5 g per day)
- Mitigates sexual dysfunction caused by SSRI antidepressants, with an effect that increases with dose (3 g per day)
Precautions
A 90-day safety trial noted a slight increase in transaminases (AST) and diastolic blood pressure in volunteers taking maca alone — something to know before opting for high doses of powder. Another trial in postmenopausal women observes the opposite for blood pressure, a drop in diastolic pressure: the two results do not overlap. Also worth noting: maca does not do what it is most often sold for. Neither testosterone, oestradiol, LH, FSH nor prolactin change with maca in healthy men — the effect on desire therefore operates through something other than hormones. On the sports side, nothing: in ten well-trained basketball players, two weeks at 2 g per day changed nothing regarding jumping, shooting, repeated sprints or the fatigue index, and in eight cyclists the improvement in time trial performance did not exceed that of the placebo. Regarding fertility, the picture is uncertain: one trial sees sperm concentration increase, another measures a 40 % improvement without the difference being significant compared to placebo, and its authors conclude that the data are insufficient. The three available systematic reviews agree on one point: the effects are favourable, but the trials are few and small.
Recommended dosage
Trials use 1.5 to 3.5 g per day, over 8 to 16 weeks. The only trial that monitored the effect week by week sees it appear around the eighth week: nothing should be expected from the first few days.
Did you know?
A moderate increase in AST levels and diastolic blood pressure was observed in volunteers using maca (0.6 g/day), but this effect could be reversed by silymarin.
What the studies say
Cette étude a examiné les effets de la Maca sur le désir sexuel chez des hommes adultes en bonne santé. Les participants ont reçu 1500 mg ou 3000 mg de Maca ou un placebo pendant 12 semaines. Une amélioration du désir sexuel a été observée dès 8 semaines avec la Maca, sans que cela soit lié à des changements d'humeur ou de niveaux de testostérone et d'œstradiol dans le sang. En conclusion, le traitement à la Maca a amélioré le désir sexuel de manière indépendante.
Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Vega K, Chung A, Villena A, Góñez C, Castillo S. — Andrologia (2002) — View the source study
Pairs well with
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more