Anyone ever use maca root?
auntstephie321
Posts: 3,586 Member
I did a little searching online and found some interesting info on it. I started taking it yesterday as it's been claimed to help with conception. I also started taking vitex as there was some info that suggests the two can help regulate hormones. The maca is also claimed to increase energy which I did notice that, though I can't say the two are related yet or not. I have been feeling really out of whack lately but feel much better today.
Here's a not bad site I found for maca, I tend not to trust much I read online so I'd love to know if any of you have experience with it.
https://examine.com/supplements/maca/
Here's a not bad site I found for maca, I tend not to trust much I read online so I'd love to know if any of you have experience with it.
https://examine.com/supplements/maca/
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auntstephie321 wrote: »I did a little searching online and found some interesting info on it. I started taking it yesterday as it's been claimed to help with conception. I also started taking vitex as there was some info that suggests the two can help regulate hormones. The maca is also claimed to increase energy which I did notice that, though I can't say the two are related yet or not. I have been feeling really out of whack lately but feel much better today.
Here's a not bad site I found for maca, I tend not to trust much I read online so I'd love to know if any of you have experience with it.
https://examine.com/supplements/maca/
Nice website, thank you for posting...
Dan the Man from Michigan Keto /The Recipe Water Fasting/E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
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I started taking it a few years ago when I was looking for that bit of energy. It's not a huge difference, but when I had undiagnosed health issues, every little bit seemed to help. I take it less frequently now.1
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I've heard both mentioned in the PCOS group, maca more by naturopaths and such... Vitex is more commonly referenced... Reach out to @Alliwan (she's recovering from a surprise baby!) and @Dragonwolf specifically. They both have far more knowledge in this arena than I do...1
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I haven't used it, personally, but I have seen it recommended a few times lately. One of the first times I'd heard it mentioned was in a Podcast with Melissa of Sexy Food Therapy with her energizing hot chocolate recipe (which is absolute crack, by the way) -- http://www.sexyfoodtherapy.com/adrenal-fatigue-crashing-3pm-drink/
As I understand it, Maca works primarily through two ways:
1. It's got a bunch of nutrients. That's pretty self-explanatory.
2. It's an adaptogen, which means that consumption of it helps promote homeostasis and hormonal balance in the body. As a result, it has a list of benefits that make it look like a "wonder" herb (that list includes increased energy). Ginseng, Holy Basil, and cordycep mushrooms are also adaptogens, among others.
So yeah, it's definitely worth trying out and toying around with. It's also arguably a better option to try before Vitex, since Vitex is a bit more medicinal than Maca, as I understand it (Maca can be treated more like a supplement, while Vitex is arguably better treated more like medicine). Don't get me wrong, Vitex is very useful and definitely worth looking into, too, but it does need treated with a bit more care.1 -
I think it was hypothyroidpharmacist.com or one of those other from the podcast that said adaptogens are dangerous to mess with if you haven't been tested. Is that your experience as well? This link and such seems pretty mild... ???0
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Dragonwolf wrote: »I haven't used it, personally, but I have seen it recommended a few times lately. One of the first times I'd heard it mentioned was in a Podcast with Melissa of Sexy Food Therapy with her energizing hot chocolate recipe (which is absolute crack, by the way) -- http://www.sexyfoodtherapy.com/adrenal-fatigue-crashing-3pm-drink/
As I understand it, Maca works primarily through two ways:
1. It's got a bunch of nutrients. That's pretty self-explanatory.
2. It's an adaptogen, which means that consumption of it helps promote homeostasis and hormonal balance in the body. As a result, it has a list of benefits that make it look like a "wonder" herb (that list includes increased energy). Ginseng, Holy Basil, and cordycep mushrooms are also adaptogens, among others.
So yeah, it's definitely worth trying out and toying around with. It's also arguably a better option to try before Vitex, since Vitex is a bit more medicinal than Maca, as I understand it (Maca can be treated more like a supplement, while Vitex is arguably better treated more like medicine). Don't get me wrong, Vitex is very useful and definitely worth looking into, too, but it does need treated with a bit more care.
Thank you for all the info. I figure it's worth trying we'll see what happens, maybe it'll be the little bit we need.0 -
Steph, check out the link on her probiotic thing, too, the video. Dunno about the brand she recommended, but it has some good conception related stuff, if I heard her right. @auntstephie3211
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »I think it was hypothyroidpharmacist.com or one of those other from the podcast that said adaptogens are dangerous to mess with if you haven't been tested. Is that your experience as well? This link and such seems pretty mild... ???
Never heard that.
As I understand them, that doesn't make sense, anyway. Adaptogens do exactly what it sounds like -- they adapt to you. Kind of like how Inositol works by working with your system -- improving the communication channels so that your body communicates with itself better -- instead of forcing your system to do something. How would that even work such that they'd be dangerous?0 -
@dragonwolf I'm totally making that hot cocoa, it's exactly how I made it all winter minus the maca. I wish I wasn't out of almond milk right now0
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Dragonwolf wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »I think it was hypothyroidpharmacist.com or one of those other from the podcast that said adaptogens are dangerous to mess with if you haven't been tested. Is that your experience as well? This link and such seems pretty mild... ???
Never heard that.
As I understand them, that doesn't make sense, anyway. Adaptogens do exactly what it sounds like -- they adapt to you. Kind of like how Inositol works by working with your system -- improving the communication channels so that your body communicates with itself better -- instead of forcing your system to do something. How would that even work such that they'd be dangerous?
@Dragonwolf - I think her main argument was that people's hormones and bodies are already so out of whack in general that without testing, using an adaptogen that you might not need might throw the body further out of whack due to undiagnosed deficiencies or dominances... I will have to see if I can find the info.
Just like supplements we don't need, sometimes they could do more harm than good...
This article seems to touch on some of it, but it wasn't the one I was looking for: https://www.drlam.com/articles/7mistakesofadrenalfatigue.asp0 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Dragonwolf wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »I think it was hypothyroidpharmacist.com or one of those other from the podcast that said adaptogens are dangerous to mess with if you haven't been tested. Is that your experience as well? This link and such seems pretty mild... ???
Never heard that.
As I understand them, that doesn't make sense, anyway. Adaptogens do exactly what it sounds like -- they adapt to you. Kind of like how Inositol works by working with your system -- improving the communication channels so that your body communicates with itself better -- instead of forcing your system to do something. How would that even work such that they'd be dangerous?
@Dragonwolf - I think her main argument was that people's hormones and bodies are already so out of whack in general that without testing, using an adaptogen that you might not need might throw the body further out of whack due to undiagnosed deficiencies or dominances... I will have to see if I can find the info.
Just like supplements we don't need, sometimes they could do more harm than good...
This article seems to touch on some of it, but it wasn't the one I was looking for: https://www.drlam.com/articles/7mistakesofadrenalfatigue.asp
While I'm sure she has good points (just as the link you provided does), anyone could have undiagnosed imbalances, too. In fact, given the abysmal state of the health care system at least in the US, there's a high chance of that. The "Inexperienced Health Care Providers" mistake is also a likely scenario, and it's because of that scenario that one is likely to turn to supplements to begin with. It's a Catch-22, really, and doesn't just apply to supplements.
What it boils down to do, then, is do your homework, get support from an experienced medical professional if possible, and monitor your symptoms/reactions when starting/trying a new supplement.1 -
I agree completely, across the board!0
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from what I've found on maca it seems that if my body doesn't need the hormone regulating effects it has, then it won't do any harm because its not a hormone. though I'm certain my hormones are out of whack anyway so. I've definitely noticed a difference already, I'm not taking a lot of it though, just starting slowly to see if it does anything. SO started taking as well.2
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Do some research on buckwheat Farinetta for PCOS. The wife has been using it for quite a while, and it help to keep the typical symptoms at bay. As far as conception goes, we still needed the doctors help.1
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Ummm...their level of evidence seems rather flawed in that these "credible" studies have only a handful of people. Extremely underpowered & not compared to any gold standard treatment arms. Examine.com's definition of RCT is nothing vs. a Stage III Clinical trial required for meds.
"Inexperienced Health Care providers" don't waste time for such unregulated supplements that aren't even worth mentioning in drafting expert panel guidelines. Not to mention, you never know what you get with non-USP certified supplements.
Not to be a buzzkill, just the reality & statistics of supplements vs. drugs1 -
Ummm...their level of evidence seems rather flawed in that these "credible" studies have only a handful of people. Extremely underpowered & not compared to any gold standard treatment arms. Examine.com's definition of RCT is nothing vs. a Stage III Clinical trial required for meds.
"Inexperienced Health Care providers" don't waste time for such unregulated supplements that aren't even worth mentioning in drafting expert panel guidelines. Not to mention, you never know what you get with non-USP certified supplements.
Not to be a buzzkill, just the reality & statistics of supplements vs. drugs
Yes I understand what supplements are. Have you ever taken maca root yourself? I'm looking for any experiences from those who have .0 -
Do some research on buckwheat Farinetta for PCOS. The wife has been using it for quite a while, and it help to keep the typical symptoms at bay. As far as conception goes, we still needed the doctors help.
Thankfully I don't have pcos. We may still need a doctor's help as well. We will see what happens.1 -
Ummm...their level of evidence seems rather flawed in that these "credible" studies have only a handful of people. Extremely underpowered & not compared to any gold standard treatment arms. Examine.com's definition of RCT is nothing vs. a Stage III Clinical trial required for meds.
"Inexperienced Health Care providers" don't waste time for such unregulated supplements that aren't even worth mentioning in drafting expert panel guidelines. Not to mention, you never know what you get with non-USP certified supplements.
Not to be a buzzkill, just the reality & statistics of supplements vs. drugs
You might want to learn more about PCOS. Unfortunately, there's no actual medication for it. The best there is right now is Metformin, birth control pills, and maybe insulin producers like Byetta, all of which are used off-label in this circumstance, and a bit hit or miss in efficacy.
To compound matters, doctors are actually largely uninformed in general about PCOS, especially at the primary level, making even prescription medication hard to come by.
Supplements like maca have shown enough promise in smaller studies to warrant larger ones, and to be used in the meantime. Unlike the current medications, these supplements act on a larger systemic level, allowing the body to work better, in general, as opposed to targeting one, specific thing and hoping it's enough to kick the rest of the body into gear.
Here's a paper on maca and some of the studies that have been done that may be of interest. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184420/2 -
I am quite familiar with all drugs used off-label for PCOS. My point is supplements are false hope & lack of evidence, safety, & regulation are issues of concern. The vast majority of supplement studies have mixed & conflicting results as well as method flaws; they are not performed properly.
BTW, byetta is not an insulin producer, it's mechanism involves an GLP-1 Agonism and is not a secretagogue. They do proliferate beta cells however but do not directly produce insulin0 -
I am quite familiar with all drugs used off-label for PCOS. My point is supplements are false hope & lack of evidence, safety, & regulation are issues of concern. The vast majority of supplement studies have mixed & conflicting results as well as method flaws; they are not performed properly.
BTW, byetta is not an insulin producer, it's mechanism involves an GLP-1 Agonism and is not a secretagogue. They do proliferate beta cells however but do not directly produce insulin
I dont know, my Dr said basically the same thing about taking magnesium supplements, I guess if I'd followed his advice I'd still be having spasms in my shoulders every single night and paying a chiropractor 100 dollars a week so I could turn my head. Since maca is actually a root I really don't see much area for concern. Many people have been discussing lately how acv has helped them with acid reflux, instead of taking prescription drugs for it. There's a lot of conflicting evidence on that as well.
I'd much rather hear from those with actual personal experience.2 -
@auntstephie321 - Even though you don't think you have PCOS (which you may or may not, as you have a few symptoms that may or may not be connected), I would still pop over to the PCOS group to ask this question. I know it has been discussed there before with several who have used it for hormone regulation and as a conception aid. Even though you don't have all the same issues some of those ladies do, you do have a lot of hormone related things in common.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis1 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »@auntstephie321 - Even though you don't think you have PCOS (which you may or may not, as you have a few symptoms that may or may not be connected), I would still pop over to the PCOS group to ask this question. I know it has been discussed there before with several who have used it for hormone regulation and as a conception aid. Even though you don't have all the same issues some of those ladies do, you do have a lot of hormone related things in common.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/3070-p-c-o-sis
thank you, I posted it in the ttc group I'm in where others have used it as well. I was just curious if anyone here had experience with it as well. I think its unlikely I have pcos, I know that it can manifest in different ways, however I've had multiple ultra sounds and testing over the years and nothing has shown anything, as well as my cycles are very regular and have never had issue with that. I think much of our struggle comes from timing and low libido, which is what brought me to the maca as its been shown in many cases to increase libido especially in the males from the ttc group.
I couldn't care less about any studies out there regarding basically anything, as pretty much all of them contradict each other and/or are proven to be flawed at some later point in time, after they've already presented themselves to be accurate. They're a waste of my time, I truly only care what others who have used it have to say.
I've checked out that group in the past and have referred a few people form the ttc group over there for more info, and alternative ideas.
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I'm in total agreement, that the crowdsourcing/social group anecdotal information sharing is far more useful to me, personally, because if there is any single thing EVER that is supposed to happen, with me it never does or does it completely differently than expected. FFS, I was passing gallstones WHILE pregnant and after - and it still took them 6 weeks to figure it out.
https://getreferralmd.com/2013/09/healthcare-social-media-statistics/
Besides, if a combination of things has worked consistently for groups, and medical science has yet to catch up - like say to the seeming "magic" of low carb high fat moderate protein or ketogenic diets - crowdsourcing is a new medical trend! Medical crowdsourcing can often find one tiny symptom that might have been ignored that lead to better understandings of things - I know it did for me personally3 -
My experience: I took maca for almost 2 years as part of my morning smoothie routine 7 days a week (maca + amazing grass + hemp protein + raw cacao + milk substitute), with an inositol chaser for year 2...and it did not have any positive benefits for me for conception or improvement of menstrual irregularities (ended up eventually being diagnosed with PCOS).
I didn't mind the taste, I actually liked it. There was maybe a slight energy boost over just the Amazing Grass + cacao...but not enough to justify the carb increase for me (or added expense).
LCHF + Inositol + Metformin was apparently the secret to unlocking my iron-clad ovaries after nearly 6 years of trying to conceive
. (During this time, I was still doing daily protein shakes for breakfast most mornings of the week-- but no maca other than the small % that is in Amazing Grass). I'm currently 24weeks pregnant...and so far so good! [knocks on wood]
Good luck!!
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My husband has been on maca for probably 6 months now for cholesterol balancing. He is almost 50 and definitely has much more interest in sex when he takes his maca. No negative side effects have been noted so far.2
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aSearch4Me wrote: »My experience: I took maca for almost 2 years as part of my morning smoothie routine 7 days a week (maca + amazing grass + hemp protein + raw cacao + milk substitute), with an inositol chaser for year 2...and it did not have any positive benefits for me for conception or improvement of menstrual irregularities (ended up eventually being diagnosed with PCOS).
I didn't mind the taste, I actually liked it. There was maybe a slight energy boost over just the Amazing Grass + cacao...but not enough to justify the carb increase for me (or added expense).
LCHF + Inositol + Metformin was apparently the secret to unlocking my iron-clad ovaries after nearly 6 years of trying to conceive . (During this time, I was still doing daily protein shakes for breakfast most mornings of the week-- but no maca other than the small % that is in Amazing Grass). I'm currently 24weeks pregnant...and so far so good! [knocks on wood]
Good luck!!
Congratulations! Fingers crossed for a happy and healthy baby!1 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »My husband has been on maca for probably 6 months now for cholesterol balancing. He is almost 50 and definitely has much more interest in sex when he takes his maca. No negative side effects have been noted so far.
What kind is he taking?0
