Maca

What is Peruvian maca (lepidium meyenii)?

Peruvian maca is a plant of the genus Lepidium with characteristic "inverted pear-shaped" roots, similar to a turnip or large radish, and with fragrant leaves collected in rosettes. The botanical name of maca is Meyen's clematis. It was given by botanist Gerhard Walpers in honor of the researcher of the Peruvian flora - Franz Meyen. A characteristic feature of the plant is its growth in the high-mountainous regions of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, where it is able to survive at altitudes of up to 4.5 km even in significant frosts. Due to its high calorie content and vitality, maca has become an indispensable source of nutrients for local residents, and since the 80s of the last century it has become a significant export product.

The inhabitants of Peru call the plant "maca-maca", "ayak villa", "property" and usually use it for food in its fresh form, and also store it by drying the hypocotyls and roots. In its commercial form, this root crop is a crushed powder. In local cuisine, it is used as an additive in the preparation of bread, pastries, mashed potatoes and other dishes. Maca is also widely used in traditional medicine of the Quechua people and is studied by official science as a source of nutrients and raw materials for the pharmacological industry.

Useful properties of Peruvian maca

The benefits of Peruvian maca are due to its composition, which includes:

• 75% carbohydrates with a high proportion of polysaccharides;
• about 15% proteins, including essential amino acids;
• up to 9% dietary fiber;
• about 2% fats, including palmitic, linoleic and other fatty acids;
• trace elements (iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, etc.);
• macamides, alkamides and other biologically active components.

In the folk medicine of the peoples of Peru, the medicinal properties of Peruvian maca are in demand for enhancing learning abilities in children, for eliminating intimate problems in women and men. Official medicine studies the effects of L. meyenii components on the following diseases:

• reproductive system problems;
• memory improvement;
• normalization of blood pressure;
• osteoporosis;
• general body support;
• skin protection from sunlight.

They also emphasize the ability of maca components to protect the nervous system and liver, and emphasize their antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects.

Buy Peruvian maca from Ukraine at PapaNature

Our catalog presents Peruvian maca root powder and capsules, which is obtained by gentle drying and grinding of natural raw materials from the highlands of South America. The processing technology allows you to maximally preserve the level of polysaccharides, amino acids, trace elements and other useful components. You can buy Peruvian maca in Ukraine in our online store with worldwide delivery.