{"id":48084,"date":"2016-03-03T11:15:34","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T16:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=48084"},"modified":"2022-01-20T05:43:28","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T10:43:28","slug":"maca-benefits-side-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/maca-benefits-side-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Your Smoothie Need a Maca Boost? Maca Benefits, Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Does
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You may have noticed a new superfood in the aisles of your health food store or on the menu of your local smoothie bar. Hanging alongside spirulina<\/a> and chia seeds<\/a> is an unassuming brown powder \u2014 maca.<\/p>\n

Not to be confused with matcha<\/a>, maca is a native Peruvian plant<\/a> that\u2019s touted as an excellent source of antioxidants, iron and calcium \u2014\u00a0and as a powerful hormone regulator, improving everything from PMS and menopause symptoms to your sex drive.<\/p>\n

But do claims about this superfood have any roots? Read on to find out.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Are You Eating Too Much Soy?<\/a><\/p>\n

Meet Your Newest Superfood<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First things first, maca is a root vegetable that grows high in the mountains of South America. \u201cIt looks like a funky-shaped potato,\u201d says Heather Mangieri<\/a>, R.D. and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. \u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to digest in its raw form. In the States, it\u2019s sold as a powder or in a gelatinized version which makes it easier for the body to digest and absorb.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most often, maca is added to other foods such as smoothies<\/a> or energy bars<\/a>, where it adds about 20\u00a0calories per tablespoon. Taken alone, it has a bitter taste so the cocoa or banana in your favorite acai bowl<\/a> can help mask the strong flavor.<\/p>\n

But maca\u2019s not a new discovery. It has been used medicinally in traditional Peruvian culture for years. According to Mangieri, a 10-gram (roughly two teaspoons) serving of maca has approximately 25 mg of calcium<\/a> and 28 mg of vitamin C<\/a>. \u201cPrior studies have demonstrated that maca is abundant in amino acids, phytonutrients, healthy fatty acids, vitamins and minerals,\u201d says Anita Mirchandani<\/a>, R.D. and spokesperson for the New York State Dietetic Association. But Mirchandani notes that recent data on maca\u2019s nutritional profile is limited.<\/p>\n

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Maca Benefits, Explained<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many believe that maca\u2019s power lies beyond just nutrition. Most notably, maca\u2019s rise to fame rests on its reputation as a libido enhancer. \u201cBased on prior studies<\/a>, the relationship between maca and sexual libido and fertility is the strongest,\u201d says Mirchandani. But the evidence<\/a> is mostly anecdotal and definitely mixed.<\/p>\n

“Adding maca to your next smoothie may be a nice-to-have addition, but it\u2019s not a miracle supplement.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cFor people who truly believe that this root can increase libido, they\u2019re using it regularly for this specific purpose. Other people who\u2019ve tried it a few times say there\u2019s no effect,\u201d says Mangieri. \u201cIt\u2019s not something you take once and have an increased sex drive. They use the product on a regular basis and this is their report of what happened. But there\u2019s no scientific evidence.\u201d Yet. It\u2019s still a new topic of study and researchers are currently investigating<\/a> how and why maca may make your romps in the bedroom more fun.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The 3-Day Military Diet: Is It Legit?<\/a><\/p>\n

More recently, maca has been promoted as a hormone regulator and adaptogen \u2014 a substance that helps the body manage and adapt to stress. \u201cMaca\u2019s phytonutrients and flavonoids are one reason it\u2019s said to boost immunity but again, the specifics on how and how much are not clear,\u201d says Mangieri.<\/p>\n

Overall, the powerhouse root remains somewhat of a mystery \u2014 and claims that it helps ease symptoms of PMS and menopause like cramps, hot flashes and mood swings aer largely unsubstantiated. \u201cUnfortunately, there isn\u2019t enough evidence to validate its efficacy on mood, PMS and menopause,\u201d says Mirchandani. \u201cMost of the claims [about PMS and post-menopausal benefits] are going to come from the nutritional profile of maca and that it has calcium and vitamin C<\/a>,\u201d says Mangieri.<\/p>\n

And maca\u2019s power to boost workout performance and concentration? Some report feeling a boost of energy after consuming maca. \u201cIt\u2019s a food that\u2019s going to provide energy and carbohydrates<\/a>,\u201d says Mangieri. \u201cAnd in that way, it could add some additional energy.\u201d But again, there\u2019s no concrete evidence.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Could Eating Charcoal Help You Detox?<\/a><\/p>\n

Should\u00a0You Add Maca to Your Smoothie?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While maca has few known side effects, it\u2019s smart to exercise caution. At two teaspoons, Mangieri says it\u2019s not dangerous or harmful. \u201cBut I don\u2019t know if there are dangers to having more than that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Although maca does contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, the amount contained in a two-teaspoon serving is small. Take calcium for example. The 25 mg of calcium in a typical serving of maca is only a fraction of the 1,200-mg recommended per day for women over 51, according to Mangieri. \u201cIs it the best source of calcium? No. This isn\u2019t a cure-all product,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are other foods where you can get the same nutrients but this can be an easy way to add some nutrients to your diet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, adding maca to your next smoothie may be a nice-to-have addition, but it\u2019s not a miracle supplement. \u201cTaking two teaspoons of maca in your smoothie and then eating crap the rest of the day isn\u2019t going to make you healthier overall,\u201d Mangieri reminds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maca is the latest superfood to take the smoothie world by storm. But does it have a dark side? Here\u2019s the scoop on the side effects and benefits of maca.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,9,426],"tags":[51,71,86,191,341,388],"class_list":["post-48084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-recipes","category-smoothies","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-smoothie","tag-supplements","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48084\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}