Do you know all the health benefits of Red Maca?

Carlos Sánchez 11 min. of reading Plants Leave a comment

Red Andean Maca is a natural plant with many health benefits. It reduces fatigue, depression, and stress; helps stimulate female fertility, eases symptoms of menopause and the menstrual cycle; and relieves prostate problems and hair loss.

Properties of Red Maca

It is rarely sold as a strictly pure variety (root), but rather it is combined with purple maca. The product, which includes a mixed combination of both types, is marketed under the name red maca.
It is the most nutritious for health of all Andean maca varieties and also has the highest content of potassium, therefore it lowers blood pressure.
It reduces symptoms of an enlarged prostate caused by age or steroids. This is because it lowers the concentration of DHT. Additionally, another benefit is that it decreases hair loss caused by hormonal issues.
It has important positive effects for females during the menstrual cycle and is used to treat female gestation problems. It also treats symptoms of progesterone deficiency, including premenstrual syndrome, loss of libido, ovulation disorders, mood swings, hormonal problems causing skin impurities, and fluid retention.
It naturally helps treat menopause symptoms. Another benefit is that it prevents osteoporosis, as it improves calcium absorption by increasing proteins involved in serum transport.
It increases iron levels in the blood and lowers cortisol levels. Thanks to this, it reduces stress, fatigue, and exhaustion. It generates energy for the body.
Formats: raw, gelatinized, or extract form.

Differences between purple and red maca

It represents around 17% of the annual harvest of Andean maca roots grown in the Junín region. It is usually sold under that name, along with violet maca, which accounts for 22% of the annual harvest.

Only rarely are both maca varieties marketed separately. The purple variety is especially suitable for treating premenopausal and menopausal women.

However, regarding their action spectra, both varieties are similar, so both can be used to treat menopause symptoms. Unlike other strains, like black maca, which have different effects.

It is generally used to treat fatigue, depression, hair loss, and anxiety.

It is the only maca strain that helps men recover from prostate enlargement. Its effects also include protecting women from osteoporosis and increasing libido. Another activity is its hematopoietic effect due to its high potassium content, which lowers blood pressure and supports weight loss.

Discover other strains in depth, like the black Andean strain or yellow Andean strain.

Benefits of red maca

For men with prostate enlargement

Benign prostate enlargement is mainly due to two reasons:

Abuse of anabolic steroids.
Aging in men over 50 years old.

The exact causes are still unclear.

An enlarged prostate presses the bladder, so the most common symptoms are constant need to urinate, rashes, and nocturnal urinary incontinence.

Clinical studies have shown that this strain of Andean maca can slightly reduce prostate enlargement. This is due to maca lowering the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which is responsible for prostate growth.

In a clinical study, prostate enlargement was induced in rats by an artificial testosterone dose. This suggests it may be useful for treating anabolic steroid abuse.

For a closer look at reducing prostate enlargement by taking it, you can check out: Maca for reducing prostate enlargement.

Red maca and fertility

One of the most common causes of female infertility is luteinizing hormone progesterone deficiency.

It is the antagonist of estrogens. When the body lacks progesterone to counteract estrogens, a progesterone deficiency or estrogen dominance occurs.

This causes premenstrual syndrome, loss of libido, and temporary infertility.

In our society, environmental exposure to estrogens happens through residues in drinking water and pesticides in food (found in vegetables or meat fat), as well as endocrine disruptors in plastic water bottles or bottled milk.

It naturally helps increase progesterone, supporting a healthy menstrual cycle and stimulating pregnancy.

Thanks to its plant sterols, it raises progesterone levels in the body. Dose, duration, and regular intake according to individual needs are also important.

You’ll find detailed info in the article about treating female infertility with red maca. For menstrual problem treatments, see the post: Red maca against premenstrual syndrome.

Increased libido in women

Clinical studies have shown that progesterone deficiency lowers sexual desire.

Medications used to treat progesterone deficiency are antidepressants called SSRIs, which act as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

However, these drugs don’t solve the problem but promote estrogen dominance and, consequently, loss of libido.

Reduction of stress, anxiety, depression, and exhaustion

It has antidepressant effects, reduces stress, and naturally boosts energy and libido.

It has been shown to improve mood. It is now known that depressed people suffer chronic stress because they lack enough serotonin to reduce stress hormones in the blood.

It lowers hormonal stress levels and exhaustion in depressed people. Effects depend on consumption duration.

Stress hormone levels (cortisol) steadily decrease after a short peak, helping create a sense of connection with reality.

To reduce chronic fatigue and circulatory disorders

One of the most common causes of circulatory problems and chronic fatigue is a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. This deficiency occurs both from not eating enough and from not ingesting the necessary vitamins and minerals required by the body.

It’s very rich in nutrients, and its intake provides new proteins transported through the blood that compensate for these energy deficiencies.

It supplies minerals and vitamins and stimulates the body’s assimilation of minerals consumed in the diet. Also, gelatinized maca, rich in serum protein proliferation, has even more effects.

Prevention of hair loss

The hormone DHT plays a key role in hair loss in both men and women.

Hair roots are believed to be paralyzed due to this hormone’s influence. Red maca can reduce this hormone’s concentration, so at least preventively, it helps stop hair loss.

Being nutrient-rich, it also provides an added benefit to the body. No specific clinical studies have been done on this topic yet.

Prevention of osteoporosis

According to specialists and studies, red and black maca strains of quality provide the most benefits for bone health and bone density.

This effect is achieved for two reasons:

High calcium content.
Stimulation of absorption of proteins that transport calcium in the blood through the mentioned system.

Thanks to this, as we’ve seen, calcium consumed through other foods is better utilized and transported to the bones. This effect helps prevent and treat osteoporosis.

Buy red maca

It is recommended to always buy red maca with a certificate of origin from the Junín-Pasco region, of quality, whether in root or capsule form. These products are recognized by the protected geographical indication with the name ‘Maca Junín-Pasco’ or the words ‘Meseta del Bombón’.

Depending on each person’s constitution, products can be chosen as raw maca powder, for those with normal digestion; gelatinized powder, for those with sensitive digestive systems; or extract, for those with digestive problems.

raw powder	gelatinized	dry extract	glycerol ext.	alcohol ext.
glucosinolates	without mustard oil glycosides	<Mustard oil glycosides	glucosinolates	without mustard oil glycosides
normal digestion	sensitive	normal	normal	sensitive
1: 1	1: 1 or 4: 1	up to 20: 1	high doses	high doses
Powder, capsules	Powder, capsules	Capsules, tablets	tincture	tincture
Red Maca + Organic + Junín-Pasco + raw + varietal +> 4000m + lab tested	Red Maca + Organic + Junín-Pasco + gelatinized + varietal +> 4000m + lab tested	Red Maca + Organic + Junín-Pasco Extract + Extract + varietal +> 4000m + lab tested	Red Maca + Organic + Junín-Pasco + Glycerin + varietal +> 4000m + lab tested	Red Maca + Organic + Junín-Pasco + Alcohol + varietal +> 4000m + lab tested

Red maca contraindications

We’ve already warned that red maca contains a large amount of potassium, so it should be avoided if you have kidney problems. For people without kidney issues, the high potassium content helps reduce high blood pressure.

Maca use is often not recommended during pregnancy for safety reasons. However, studies on this topic have found no toxicological problems.