Maca

Botanical & Other Names: Lepidium meyenii, Lepidium peruvianum
 

A vegetable in the same family as broccoli, Maca is a traditional staple of South American Indians because of its fertility and aphrodisiac properties. Many active constitutes in Maca improve sex drive and energy without effecting hormone levels in males. Reported benefits of Maca including: improved sexual desires, semen quality and prostate wellness. Females, meanwhile, benefit from Maca's ability to stimulate Graafian follicles that affect the release of ovum during ovulation.

New research indicates that Maca lowers LDL level, increases natural antioxidants, glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, improves glucose tolerance and anti-oxidant levels.

Peruvian scientists conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study on a small group of men ranging from ages 21 to 56 years of age. The outcome found that Maca improved sexual desires compared to the placebo after 3 months.

Doctors from Massachusetts’ General Hospital conducted a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study using two different doses of Maca for the people who suffered from sexual dysfunction while taking SSRI. The findings indicated improvement in sexual function by taking 3,000 mg of Maca per day.