Maca benefits that have been proven by science

November 2019
Dr. Mike Bohl

Main health benefits of maca

Maca’s got quite a reputation, but we all know those can be misleading. That’s why even though maca is purported to have health benefits like helping memory and concentration, reducing prostate size, and boosting muscle mass and strength, it’s best to wait to see what science will confirm. There’s currently no evidence, for example, that L. meyenii can help you put on more muscle. And its claimed benefits for cognition and prostate health only have animal studies as evidence. But here’s what we do know about the herbal supplement and what it might be able to do in humans.

May increase libido

You read right: maca was traditionally taken as an aphrodisiac. And science backs up the practice. The herbal supplement successfully increased self-reported sexual desire in men after eight weeks in one 2002 clinical study (Gonzales, 2002). The researchers even had the men take tests to rate their depression and anxiety as well and tested their testosterone and estrogen levels throughout the study. They found that maca increased sexual desire independent of these other factors that could have affected libido.

And it may not just be men that can get a boost from the medicinal root. A meta-analysis that looked at four clinical trials found that maca supplements boost libido in two trials featuring adult men and menopausal women (Shin, 2010). One trial looking at healthy cyclists found no effect, and the final trial found that maca supplementation significantly helped men with erectile dysfunction. There were few studies, and they were small, however, so researchers say we need further testing to be sure of the results. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database does not currently recognize maca as an effective treatment for sexual performance or dysfunction or sex drive (Medline Plus, 2019).

May increase libido levels

Despite the traditional use, this is where maca is gaining a reputation in modern alternative medicine. Maca is rich in carbohydrates, a primary fuel source for our bodies, particularly our brain and muscles. But researchers believe this medicinal herb may help boost energy beyond replenishing our glycogen stores. Trials are preliminary and mostly involve animals (Yang, 2015) (Li, 2018), so it’s impossible to say the results hold true in humans. Rats were able to swim longer when given maca supplements, one study found (Choi, 2012). Researchers believe maca may lessen the effects of oxidative stress caused by exercise.

One small study has been done in humans, however. Researchers gave trained male cyclists maca extract for 14 days and found that at the end of the period, they could complete a 40 km cycling time trial faster than before supplementation (Stone, 2009). Though the times were significantly higher than the baseline, they weren’t statistically significant in time from the placebo group. (It’s worth noting that the maca group did report increased sex drive not seen in those taking the placebo, though.) More work needs to be done to see if the results found in multiple animal studies possibly hold true in humans.