We are told that it is aphrodisiac, antistress and packed with nutrients. But what exactly is maca powder? We eat it, we drink it, and for what? Health Zigzag tells you all you need to know about a superfood that is good for all sauces, or almost!
What is maca?
Let’s start at the beginning, maca is a Peruvian root plant, from its small Latin name Lepidium meyenii [1]. Imagine a yellowish-white beet, you are there. In different countries, people eat the tuber, the part that grows underground, since prehistory. Incidentally, if you are told about maca powder, it is because the root does not arrive fresh and full in our shelves, but dried and reduced to powder.
It’s peculiarities? One, it grows on the highlands of the Andes in extreme weather conditions, in which few others survive. In two, it has been used in herbal medicine for millennia for its many medicinal properties. Of three, it has a nutritional value to envy his cousins of the family of superfoods [2].
What’s it, maca powder?
Other nicknames of maca powder are Peruvian ginseng or Peruvian Viagra. Do you draw a picture? It is widely used as a stimulant to boost libido, improve sexual performance and even, it is said, increase the quality of sperm to fight against male infertility [3]. Note that the aphrodisiac benefits of the plant are not scientifically proven, but no side effects are known. So we do not lose anything to try.
Maca powder is also used for its high nutritional value, which allows both to fight against malnutrition or anemia, to counter the effects of stress, to reduce fatigue and soothe the pain. Because for short, the Peruvian root hides calcium, potassium, selenium, magnesium and a nice dose of essential trace elements: iron, copper, zinc, manganese, and iodine. The cherry on the plant, it also contains fatty acids and 19 amino acids, just that. Maca powder!
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How to use maca powder?
Easy, we sprinkle! Because it is available in dry or powder form. Maca can fit in most recipes to boost their nutritional value without changing the taste. In any case, we can use it as a cure: Peruvian traditional herbal medicine recommends three months of treatment twice a year to optimize the effects.
The first option: Pour a teaspoon in a glass of water, in a smoothie or yogurt according to taste: the powder has a nutty flavor for some, caramel for others.
The second option: Sprinkle directly on a fruit salad, salad, a bowl of porridge or cereals, etc.
The third possibility: Hidden directly in the recipe! Pancake, waffle, cake, soup, rice, pasta, quiche, au gratin.
Last option: Maca powder exists as food supplements to swallow. In this case, we check the provenance and the composition.
