Long before history was ever recorded, the maca vegetable had been used to increase stamina. In fact, Inca warriors ate the root before going into battle. The ancient Andes mountain dwellers also knew about the ability of maca to rebuild systems in the body, keeping it on an even keel and helping highlanders thrive at high altitudes.

Today, it is the "new darling" in the research lab. Italian scientists recently showed that maca increases both general and sexual well-being in patients with mild erectile dysfunction (ED). The researchers conducted a double-blind clinical trial involving 50 men. Half received maca; the other half received a placebo. While both groups reported a significant increase in their erectile function scores and psychological performance scores at the 12-week measurement point, the scores of the maca group were significantly higher than the placebo group. In addition, researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital conducted a double-blind study to compare a low-dose and high-dose maca regimen in 20 depressed patients with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-induced sexual dysfunction. Subjects receiving the lower dose did not show improvement on a sexual experience scale and sexual function questionnaire, while the high dose recipients experienced significant improvements.

Peruvian researchers have also found that red maca can affect the size of the prostate. They induced adult mice with a testosterone hormone drug to enlarge the prostate. After 21 days of treatment, prostate weight was reduced. Another research group in Lima evaluated the effects of different fractions of black maca on sperm creation. The group that was given the ethyl acetate fraction from the black maca extract had the greatest increase in sperm. Researchers from China studied how black maca might affect learning and memory in hormonally deprived rats. They found that in those rats given black maca, memory impairments induced by hormonal deprivation were reduced. Scientists have also found that maca is one of the best ways to naturally regulate and support the endocrine system, thereby normalizing energy levels, metabolism, growth, sexual development and psychology. 

While the maca vegetable is readily available in Peru, it is most commonly taken in the United States as a supplement in the form of an extract, whole root herb or as gelatinized root. There are several varieties: red, yellow and black, each with its unique component for addressing sexual health. Black maca is most beneficial in reducing ED, increasing sperm count and sperm motility and for restoring learning and memory, but unlike synthetic ED drugs, it does not produce hormonal changes that lead to unwanted side effects. Red maca is the variety most associated with reducing prostate size.

News Release: Maca restores sexual health without raising hormone levels  www.naturalnews.com    June 9, 2009