Maca Root Powder

In to see if you get any answers!

This paper here (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2928177/) reviews the effectiveness of maca root in sexual function. It appears that it might have some positive results, but nothing huge, and they still have too little data for a firm conclusion.

"The results of our systematic review provide limited evidence for the effectiveness of maca in improving sexual function. However, the total number of trials, the total sample size, and the average methodological quality of the primary studies were too limited to draw firm conclusions. More rigorous studies are warranted."

So essentially their answer is...maybe? But probably nothing major.

Also, it's published in a alternative medicine Journal, which are generally viewed with skepticism within the scientific and medical community (due to iffy standards of efficacy). So unless something more definitive comes out, I'd probably advise you to save your money.

Edit: Found this article published in the International Journal of Biomedical Sciences (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23674976) —a pretty well thought of journal—which states that it has some positive health affects.

"The results showed that in addition to reduction in body weight, blood pressure and increasing serum HDL and Iron, pre-gelatinized Maca-GO may be a valuable non-hormonal plant preparation for balancing levels of hormones (FSH, E2, PG and ACTH) and alleviating negative physiological and psychological symptoms (frequency of hot flushes, incidence in night sweating, interrupted sleep pattern, nervousness, depression and heart palpitations) experienced by women in perimenopausal stage. It appears that Maca-GO may act as a toner of hormonal processes, leading to alleviation of discomfort felt by perimenopausal women, hence, its potential use as non-hormonal alternative to HRT program."

So maybe maca root is legit. It likely contains some sort of estrogen like compound (a lot of plants have these compounds, called phytoestrogens), which make up for low estrogen levels during menopause—just like hormone replacement therapy does. So it would likely have positive affect if taken during or after menopause. HOWEVER, if it does have phytoestrogens, it could increase the risk of breast cancer in post menopausal women (estrogen after menopause has been shown to increase risks of breast cancer, but its still very controversial)

Rule of thumb, if you're thinking about taking something like that, probably best to ask a doctor.