Maca Powder

Maca is an herbaceous biennial plant or annual plant native to the high Andes of Bolivia and Peru. It is grown for its fleshy hypocotyl (actually a fused hypocotyl and taproot), which is used as a root vegetable and a medicinal herb. In Spanish it is also called maca-maca, maino etc.

Maca contains sugars and proteins. It also contains uridine, malic acid and benzoyl derivative, and the glucosinolates, glucotropaeolin and m-methoxyglucotropaeolin. Maca also contains (1R,3S)-1-methyltetrahydro--carboline-3-carboxylic acid, a molecule which is reported to exert many activities on the central nervous system. The nutritional value of dried maca root is high, similar to cereal grains such as rice and wheat. It contains 60% carbohydrates, 10% protein, 8.5% dietary fiber, and 2.2% fats.

Maca is rich in essential minerals, including selenium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, and includes fatty acids including linolenic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acids, and 19 amino acids, as well as polysaccharides. Maca's reported beneficial effects for sexual function could be due to its high concentration of proteins and vital nutrients, though maca contains a chemical called p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which reputedly has aphrodisiac properties.

Maca is a popular healthy food nowadays, and mostly found as "maca powder" in the market