MACA A jewel of the Andes - A Superb Energy Booster
You only need twenty minutes to experience the energy flowing that all your body.
It is not a commercial it is just the true.
Maca it is root of vegetable, that looks as a potato, that rises in the Peruvian Andes.
Maca is a hardy ancient plant actually cultivated “only” at high (up to14,500 feet) in the Andean mountains. It has one of the highest frost tolerances among native cultivated species. Maca has a low-growing, mat-like stem system which at times goes unnoticed in a farmer’s field. Its scalloped leaves lie close to the ground and it produces small, self-fertile, off-white flowers typical of the mustard family to which it belongs. The part used is the tuberous root, which looks likes a large radish (up to 8 cm in diameter) and appears off-white to yellow in color. Unlike many other tuberous plants, maca is propagated by seed. Although it is a perennial, it is grown as an annual; seven to nine months is required to produce the harvested roots.
The area where maca is found, high in the Andes, a region of intense sunlight, violent winds, and below-freezing weather. With its extreme temperatures and poor, rocky soil, the area rates among the world’s worst farmland; yet, over the centuries, maca has evolved to flourish under these conditions. Maca was domesticated about 2,000 years ago by the Incas, and primitive cultivars of maca have been found in archaeological sites dating as far back as 2,000 B.C.
To the Andean Indians and indigenous peoples, maca is a valuable commodity. Because so little else grows in the region, maca is often traded with communities at lower elevations for such other staples as rice, corn, green vegetables, and beans. The dried roots can be stored for up to seven years. Native Peruvians traditionally have utilized maca since pre-Incan times for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. It is an important staple in the diets of these people, as it has the highest nutritional value of any food crop grown there. It is rich in sugars, protein, starches, and essential nutrients (especially iodine and iron). The tuber or root is consumed fresh or dried. The fresh roots are considered a treat and are baked or roasted in ashes (in the same manner as sweet potatoes). The dried roots are stored and, later, boiled in water or milk to make a porridge. They also are made into a popular sweet, fragrant, fermented drink called maca chicha. In Peru even maca jam, pudding, and sodas are popular. The tuberous roots have a tangy, sweet taste and an aroma similar to that of butterscotch.
This energizing plant is also referred to as Peruvian ginseng (although maca is not in the same family as ginseng). Maca has been used for centuries in the Andes to enhance fertility in humans and animals. Soon after the Spanish conquest in South America, the Spanish found that their livestock were reproducing poorly in the highlands. The local Indians recommended feeding the animals maca, and so remarkable were the results that Spanish chroniclers gave in-depth reports. Even colonial records of some 200 years ago indicate that payments of (roughly) nine tons of maca were demanded from one Andean area alone for this purpose.
The nutritional value of dried maca root is high, resembling those of cereal grains such as maize, rice, and wheat. It contains 60-75% carbohydrates, 10–14 % protein, 8.5% fiber, and 2.2% lipids. The protein content of maca exists mainly in the form of polypeptides and amino acids (including significant amounts of arginine, serine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and threonine). It also has about 250 mg of calcium, 2 g of potassium, and 15 mg of iron in 100 g of dried root—and important amounts of fatty acids (including linolenic, palmitic, and oleic acids). Maca contains sterols (about 0.05% to 0.1%) and other vitamins and minerals. In addition to its rich supply of essential nutrients, maca contains alkaloids, tannins, and saponins. A chemical analysis conducted in 1981 showed the presence of biologically active aromatic isothiocyanates (a common chemical found in the mustard family of plants and shown to be a wood preservative and insecticide). Chemical research shows maca root contains a chemical called p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which has reputed aphrodisiac properties. At least four alkaloids are also present but have not yet been quantified. Fresh maca root contains about 1% glucosinolates—a group of plant chemicals found in many plants in the family (ie. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables). While there are no novel glucosinolates reported in maca yet, several of the chemicals found in this group of known plant chemicals are documented to be cancer-preventative.
Today Maca is so popular around the world but again beware of those Maca products
not product in the Peruvian Andes. To buy Maca I always suggest to go directly to the source as possibile, so the next time that you travel to Peru do not forget to get your “original maca”. If you suffer from Hypertension or high blood pressure better consult your doctor before to make any changes in your medication.
Finally let me suggest the Maca 800mg the softgels are great.
Pete Mendez
