Maca root
Andean tuber traditionally used for energy and stamina.
Why
Andean tuber traditionally used for energy and stamina. RCT evidence is mixed but consistent for fatigue and mood in perimenopause.
How it works
Mechanism not fully characterised; macamides and macaenes implicated in mood and energy effects in animal models. Human RCT evidence is mixed.
Expected onset · Subjective energy/mood effects often emerge by 6–8 weeks in RCTs
How to take
Dosage
Powdered root: 1.5–3 g/day in divided doses. Trial doses range from 2 g (Meissner Maca-GO) to 3 g (sexual function trials).
Timing
Morning and afternoon with meals
Safety
Evidence
Shin 2010 BMC Complement Altern Med systematic review of maca for sexual function (4 RCTs): suggestive evidence for improvement in sexual dysfunction or libido, but small samples and heterogeneous quality. Meissner 2006 Int J Biomed Sci small RCT in early-postmenopausal women reported reduction in menopause symptom scores. Evidence base is small and mixed; traditional Andean use as an energy tonic predates modern trials.
Where to get it
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