One of the benefits of being in Peru is I have easy and cheap access to genuine Maca root (Lepidium peruvianum) which I can get in either tablet form or powder. It tastes umm.. not-so-hot, so I prefer the tablets. The unfortunate thing is that it is sold abroad (in the US especially) as a male sex enhancer, which is not really what it's all about. Studies have been done on menopausal women showing that it greatly helps in depression, and depression studies are being widened. Its benefits are also that it helps you focus, stay alert (but not in a jittery caffeine way) and be a bit more positive.
The thing is, you have to take a LOT of it... about 3.5 grams per day, split into three doses over the course of the day. You should take it with food, so during mealtime works out okay. You can get pills in 500 mg tablets, so that means 7 pills per day. (Check the bottle, some sell it only in 100 mg tablets, so you'd be taking 35 per day!) You should ramp up over the course of a week or so (I didn't, because I didn't know any better when I started, but didn't have any side effects, but I have heard bad stories of reactions with other people.)
The stuff I get from Peru does seem to help with depression, and increases my focus so I do not need prescription ADD meds now. When traveling in the US, I bought some US brand and found it to be less effective. Unfortunately, the US supplement manufacturers often put junk in the pills, or buy cheaper or older raw materials, weakening their effects.
As for its so-called sexual prowess enhancements, I haven't noticed anything (change in mood, libido, etc.) but I am not having problems in that area, so can't comment... my point is that it did not turn me into a sex monster, which some of the advertising would have you believe. Taken late at night, it is said to cause insomnia, but I have that anyway, so not sure if the Maca is having any impact on that or not. I have read that it can cause acne, but haven't seen that or had any noticeable side effects whatsoever. I may just be lucky.
They also suggest you go OFF Maca after a while, in order to get it out of your system, sort of a one or two week reboot, and then start again. I have not felt a need to do that yet.
Do some reading on it, and if it looks like it might be something good for you, try to get the genuine stuff (actual root powder, not a derivative or "extract"). Be careful of some of the Maca branded for male sex enhancement, as they have other ingredients... you just want pure Maca, nothing else! The brand I get in Peru is Kaita, but not sure if that's available elsewhere. Compared to antidepressants, with their impossible-to-live-with side effects, Maca is proving (for me anyway) a real boon. I just hope I don't build up a resistance to it.
The thing is, you have to take a LOT of it... about 3.5 grams per day, split into three doses over the course of the day. You should take it with food, so during mealtime works out okay. You can get pills in 500 mg tablets, so that means 7 pills per day. (Check the bottle, some sell it only in 100 mg tablets, so you'd be taking 35 per day!) You should ramp up over the course of a week or so (I didn't, because I didn't know any better when I started, but didn't have any side effects, but I have heard bad stories of reactions with other people.)
The stuff I get from Peru does seem to help with depression, and increases my focus so I do not need prescription ADD meds now. When traveling in the US, I bought some US brand and found it to be less effective. Unfortunately, the US supplement manufacturers often put junk in the pills, or buy cheaper or older raw materials, weakening their effects.
As for its so-called sexual prowess enhancements, I haven't noticed anything (change in mood, libido, etc.) but I am not having problems in that area, so can't comment... my point is that it did not turn me into a sex monster, which some of the advertising would have you believe. Taken late at night, it is said to cause insomnia, but I have that anyway, so not sure if the Maca is having any impact on that or not. I have read that it can cause acne, but haven't seen that or had any noticeable side effects whatsoever. I may just be lucky.
They also suggest you go OFF Maca after a while, in order to get it out of your system, sort of a one or two week reboot, and then start again. I have not felt a need to do that yet.
Do some reading on it, and if it looks like it might be something good for you, try to get the genuine stuff (actual root powder, not a derivative or "extract"). Be careful of some of the Maca branded for male sex enhancement, as they have other ingredients... you just want pure Maca, nothing else! The brand I get in Peru is Kaita, but not sure if that's available elsewhere. Compared to antidepressants, with their impossible-to-live-with side effects, Maca is proving (for me anyway) a real boon. I just hope I don't build up a resistance to it.
