Only the elite would know what a superfood is, right? They would know the details on how to get the highest quality superfoods and then never share the features with the rest of us. They can’t be the only ones allowed in on this information, and soon everyone else is going to find out their secrets to living healthy. Everywhere we go, there is always a new superfood about to worry. Hordes of people are always trying to get you to buy their nutritional debacle in for the day. It’s only natural to want to be healthy in this day and age, but where to start and where the list ends is a vague place. One superfood that its effective for a wide variety of benefits is the Red Maca plant. It sounds like a new, elite sort of superfood but it’s not. It’s been around a long time, as far as humans are concerned, and over that time it’s been nothing but helpful.
What is Red Maca Anyway? Origin And History
Red Maca is a root or a tuber found in the South American region, specifically from the Andes Mountain range in Peru. Later, Spanish explorers stumbled upon the Red Maca plant and found out for themselves the many Red Maca benefits. Though before then, many thousands of years ago, it was harvested by the native Peruvians at the time for its many health benefits and can still be used today for those same uses. Its scientific name is Lepidium meyenii or Lepidium peruvianum. It is consumed as many ways in either capsule form or loose powder. It can also be eaten in its original root form. Red Maca has many attributes that benefit the user in the physical, emotional and mental facets that make it an exceptional diet choice.
How is Red Maca Used as a Powder?
Solid Red Maca may not be the most delicious thing to eat all by itself for some. Red Maca powder may be a substitute for those who prefer not to eat their Red Maca as a whole root. Luckily, there are many ways to use or ingest it. Since it is in powder form, Maca can be put into many recipes to gain the health benefits with a variety of other flavors to embellish the typical caramel or butterscotch taste of Red Maca.
Many channels on YouTube, such as are devoted to making it a beneficial addition to anyone’s diet. A few recipes from these channels are worth noting as they sound tasty and easy to make.
A few recipe ideas from YouTube include:
- No-Bake lemon protein balls for a quick after or before workout snack.
- Maca Maple Quinoa Granola as a good snack for anyone
- Superfood Hot Chocolate for energy during the colder months
A Red Maca Milkshake for fertility
While there are many recipes out there, there are other ways to use Red Maca in food. Since one Red Maca benefit is that it is a powder, it can be used in a lot of no-bake sweets, vegan milkshakes, and It can also be used in a lot of juicing recipes to give it an extra health boost. Mixing it in with cereal, hot or cold, is also a tasty and healthy option. Lastly, it can go in ice-cream as a topping or healthy additive.
Another Red Maca benefit in powder form is that you can mix it in one of your regular drinks such as coffee, tea, water, or an iced drink. Since the famed natural taste of butterscotch or caramel is present in the Maca, it will sweeten your drink instantly without needing to use any refined sugar.
Dosage: How Much Should Someone Take?
When someone takes Red Maca, it may be useful for the patient or user to know how much to dose for themselves. Dosage depends on overall health, age and other health factors that may be aggravated by the Red Maca. Although you can’t overdose on Red Maca, it may be possible to incur some unpleasant side effects if you are not careful. A person’s weight tends to be a large factor in determining how much a person should dose.
The general rule is, based on an averagely healthy 40-year-old 160 lbs person, is that for a gelatinized version of Red Maca is (for a daily dose) 3-9 grams or 2-8 capsules. The requirements are generally the same no matter the type of Maca use, and dosage tends to vary on the person’s health, size, and weight.
As weights vary with the form of the Maca, there are more options to consider. For someone who weighs 150 lbs, they may want to take 10.9-24 grams of the original root form. If the person is 200 lbs, they should take 14.5-32 grams of the original root form. Lastly, if they are 250 lbs, they should take 18.1-40 grams of the root form. However, the standard dose is 1,500-3,000mg.
The Many Benefits
The benefits of Red Maca are numerous. Everyone should at least try it at one point in their lives for the way that it keeps a person healthy.
- First of all Red Maca has a unique taste that sets it apart from a lot of healthy foods. Most claim it tastes like butterscotch or caramel. Good, wholesome, guilt-free tasty goodness. There are many other benefits to ingesting Red Maca plant.
- One of them is that they are rich in antioxidants, which means an overall healthier immune system. It also enhances estrogen levels and boosts sexual health and fertility for both male and females.
- They are also suitable for improving memory, energy, and mood. Not only do they provide these amazing perks, but they are also highly nutritious. They are high in protein, Vitamin C, iron, copper, and fiber. Even more, reasons that Red Maca should become a dietary staple.
- Red Maca benefits also include not stressing the adrenals, like most coffee and teas. Although Red Maca benefits tend to be that they give the user a lot of energy, the energy tends not to spike the adrenals, and the user is not as worn out by the Red Maca as they would be with a drink of coffee or some green tea. Also, in terms of giving a person immense energy, Red Maca is a great choice for athletes of endurance sports because of the stamina Red Maca gives its users.
Red Maca: Capsules or Powder?
So far, we’ve discussed the benefits of Red Maca. It may behoove you to know that it comes in three forms: powder, the original root, and gelatinized in capsules. Everyone is different and finding the perfect way for this superfood is a must if someone is going to be ingesting it. The main form is in powder form, but there are of course other forms to consider. Although some people eat it in its solid root form, there is also the option to consume it in capsule form. This may be for people who don’t wish to put it into their food and may prefer to take it like a pill. There are many benefits to ingesting the capsules as opposed to the powder.
There are differences to taking the capsule as opposed to the powder. The capsule is more compact and may be easier to take with a meal. Perhaps most important of all is that since they are usually pre-measured into the same size capsule, it is easier to gauge the dosage for daily consumption.
If the capsules are made in-house, which the workers of The Maca Team are proud to say they do, then the capsules are purer than other capsules. They have no chemicals, flow agents, or fillers. Capsules are also more convenient than the powder, given that not only is it already measured but it only takes a glass of water for someone to ingest a capsule properly. For time-efficiency, it may be better to use the capsules.
The benefits of Red Maca in powder form is mostly it is easier to put into foods for flavor enhancement. Unlike a capsule, a person could add the Red Maca powder to essentially any meal or drink to make it taste better while getting the benefits.
Red Maca vs. Black Maca: Different Types of Maca
As the name might infer, there are many different colored Macas available for consumption. Although this article discusses Red Maca more in depth, it will also discuss the aspect of using Black Maca and the differences it has with Red Maca. Most notably, the difference in healthy usage would be examined.
Black Maca is typically used in boosting sperm count in males and is a healthy alternative to Viagra. This color Maca is also beneficial for stress relief and works as an anti-depressant. It also helps with fatigue and increases cognitive skills such as learning and memory.
Like Red Maca, Black Maca can be consumed in its root, capsule or powder form. It is also beneficial for its high protein content, protect the user from UV radiation it can help relieve a few of the symptoms from menopause. Even though it works very well for fertility, it also reduces the prostate size as well as increases overall endurance.
Both Black Maca and Red Maca have benefits, and it would depend on the user what they need to determine which to purchase.
Reviews
Red Maca is an interesting, useful and healthy root plant that many people have used for the years. Enough to the degree that people happily, or perhaps not so happily, review it online.
There are reviews in various areas that range from acne to weight loss. Most of the reviews are positive. People came with a variety of ailments and used Red Maca to counteract them.
A few examples were testimonials who used the Red Maca product from The Maca Team were more severe conditions like Fibromyalgia, depression, cognitive functions, and muscle building to name a few. All of the customers were satisfied.
The Side Effects
Although most of the above information has been fairly positive, there are some side-effects of Red Maca to consider. After several scientific tests and anecdotal references were analyzed, it was concluded that it does not have any notable side effects.
Unlike pharmaceutical drugs that have the same redeeming qualities as Red Maca, they have side effects which may go so far as to undermine the user. Red Maca, however, is a relatively side-effect free alternative for a healthy lifestyle. Unlike most pharmaceutical drugs, Red Maca has few known side-effects.
In Conclusion: Eat Red Maca
Red Maca is a good addition to anyone’s diet as it not only has a naturally sweet caramel taste to include in any breakfast or dessert recipe, but it also has a variety of health benefits such as increased energy, fertility, vitamin boost, and antioxidants. Including Red Maca would be a wise choice for any person of any body type as the dosages can be tailored to an individual’s unique body type, weight, age, and physical abilities.
Red Maca benefits certainly outweigh those of any pharmaceutical drug with the same effects with none of the side-effects so that you can be healthy without the cost of extraneous effects. Red Maca benefits also include being able to ingest it in its original root form, in a powder to add to food or drinks or in an easy to use capsule. It is a unique plant with many good reviews across the internet and deserves status as a superfood.