Maca root, or “Peruvian ginseng,” has a colorful history in Latin America, which spans over 2000 years. Cultivated at high altitudes and under harsh conditions in the Peruvian Andes, legend has it that Incan warriors ate maca to increase their stamina in battle, and the region’s Indigenous people have long used it as a staple food and to increase fertility.
In modern times maca has found its way onto the supplement shelves of many health food stores as a result of aggressive marketing campaigns, but the list of conditions it is purported to help still needs more research. Let’s break down what we know—and what we don’t....
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