Peruvian Maca Root powder

There is a new food supplement available in Jamaica from Peru. Peruvian Maca root powder is a totally organic root vegetable that is rapidly gaining attention in North America and the world for its success in supporting and adapting energy and hormone balancing for both men and women.

According to Collette Garrick, the local supplier of the product in its powder form, Maca, though fairly new on the Jamaican market, has been around from the time of the Conquistadors – who it is believed, valued Maca more than gold because of its historical and dramatic effects on South Americans living in the highlands. The vegetable, which belongs to the same botanical family (Cruciferae) as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, radish and turnip, is grown in the Andean highlands of Peru at altitudes of nine-11 thousand and even as high as 14,500 feet above sea level, just below the glacial icecap.

For a long time, herbalists have acknowledged that resistant plants such as Maca root, when consumed, are especially valuable from a medical point of view . The product, says Garrick, is especially beneficial for women experiencing pre-menopause, menopause and post-menopause because of its hormonal balancing properties, oestrogen dominance being a common problem Maca can safely assist with.

According to Beth M Ley, PhD, science writer specialising in health and nutrition since 1988, and author of the health learning handbook Maca – Adaptogen and Hormonal Regulator, Maca has been found to be a safe drug-free alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). In addition, it was discovered that women who began to use the powder during pre-menopause, had an easier time entering menopause, with a marked lessening of symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings and PMS.

Garrick sells the product strictly as a food supplement. However, she will quickly points out the array of side benefits incurred, such as increased libido and sperm count in men. This is supported by Ley, who cited the first known published study on Maca’s effect on libido and fertility in men, carried out by the Department of Physiological Sciences at the University Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, and published in the Asian Journal of Andrology, which showed Maca increased their sexual desire by 180 per cent and also increased the number and mobility of their sperm.

Good news for Jamaican men who may be interested in a more natural alternative for tackling sexual dysfunction problems, Garrick noted. She likens the aphrodisiac effects of the powder to the effects of Irish Moss and other roots drinks and concoctions that Jamaican men have for years sworn by. It also allegedly works well for women in the area of boosting libido.

However, checks made with the Ministry of Health’s Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Affairs division showed that they were unaware of the product, which, because it is considered simply as a food supplement, does not fall under the Food and Drug Act, and therefore does not require registration.

The powder, which is also available in tablet form, which Garrick does not supply currently and is more expensive, has to be taken three times daily and is not 100 per cent organic because it has cornstarch and water added to bind it. Checks by all woman revealed that at least one store, Fit for Life health food store, in fact carries the tablets at $685 per bottle of 60.

According to Garrick, sales for the powder, which has a pleasant butterscotch flavour, have been slowly increasing as a result of enthusiastic word of mouth by people who swear by its additional, yet unofficial, health properties. One month’s supply costs $900 and consists of 16 teaspoons, one teaspoon taken once every other day. It is pleasant tasting and can be mixed into beverages, juices, yogurt, salads, dressings and soups. The powder, Garrick says, can also be added as a dry ingredient to baked goods like muffins and breads.

Maca, according to author Ley, is considered a “warming herb” according to Chinese medicine, and therefore should be used with caution by those with high blood pressure. As with other products of this nature, a medical practitioner or herbalist should be consulted before use.