What is Maca Supplement?
Although many people classify maca as a supplement, it's technically considered a food or a "superfood." Maca in it's pure form is simply the powder derived from dried root vegetables. It contains no artificial ingredients, stabilizers or preservatives.
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Where Does Maca Come From?
The plant is a cruciferous root vegetable that grows in high elevations (above 12,000 feet) in the Andes mountain range. Specifically, maca supplement usually comes from Peru and Bolivia. The plant itself resembles a small turnip.
What Kinds of Maca Supplement Are There?
The main kinds of plants are simply the standard cream colored root, a darker root sometimes called "black maca," and a reddish root referred to as "red maca." From these 3 kinds of roots, various maca supplements are created. The simplest and most common form is a whole powder. The powder, which is dried and ground root, can easily be added into juices and smoothies.
Another way maca supplements are sold is in capsule form. Commonly this means that the powder is simply encapsulated in gelatin capsules. The only advantage to this is that you get precise measurements in terms of dosage. However, some capsules don't break down well in the stomach, which prevents full absorption of the powder and limits the benefits.
A final kind of maca is so-called "gelatinized" maca which has undergone a heating process in order to remove the starch from the plant material. The heating process also may lessen some of the therapeutic powers of the herb, so unless you have trouble digesting regular raw powder, there is not much need to use the gelatinized form.
What can Maca Do For Health?
The health benefits of regularly taking a maca supplement are many and varied. That's because the root has adaptogen qualities which means that its effects are appropriate to the age and sex of the person using it. In that way, the plant is similar to Ginseng.
The major uses of maca include: increasing energy and endurance, building muscle, relief of menopausal symptoms and improving fertility.
How Do You Take Maca Supplement?
The simplest way to enjoy maca is to mix it into water or smoothies on a daily basis. There are recipes for many kinds of drinks and dishes that you can make with maca. However, most people find maca to be pretty tasty (kind of a malt flavor) and enjoy it simply in water or juice.