Maca is a native plant of Peru and is used to increase libido, strength, stamina, and energy (I know, right? It’s like the perfect herb. Time to bake it into some cookies and deliver them to that co-worker/friend/neighbor you’ve had your eye on…).
Further, maca can normalize all the sex hormones: testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen (i.e. a great option for combating the natural hormonal downslide that occurs with aging). If fertility issues are on your radar, maca is a great herb to include, as it regulates menstrual cycles and eases cycle pain. For menopause? Again, spotlight on hormones. Maca can ease this transition as well. It also decreases stress which, as we know, is a major downer to any sexual liaison.
How to take maca? Well, you can buy it in supplement form, but you’re going to need a lot of it. I don’t care what the bottle says, you want to aim for 6-10 500mg capsules per day (at least!). Or, you can buy the powdered herb and blend a tablespoon into a smoothie or juice every day. The more you take? The better. There are no toxic side effects to this herb.
Linn.
Family: Curciferace, Brassicaceae.
Habitat: Native to West Asia; cultivated throughout India as a salad plant.
English: Garden Cress, Water Cress.
Ayurvedic: Chandrashuura, Chan- drikaa, Vaas-pushpaa, Pashume- hankaarikaa, Nandini, Suvaasaraa, Aashaalim.
Unani: Habb-ul-rashaad, Tukh-e- Taratezak, Haalim, Sipandaan.
Siddha/Tamil: Alivirai.
Action: Used in asthma, bronchial affections and bleeding piles. Seeds—lactagogue, diuretic, and emmenagogue. Used for treating skin disorders, fever, amoebic dysentery and asthma. Leaf— stimulant, antiscorbutic, diuretic. Roots—used in secondary syphilis and in tenesmus.
The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the use of dried seeds, in powder form, in gout.The seeds are a good source of iron, but its bioavailability is poor (5.4% of total iron). They are used for rapid healing ofbone fractures. The ethano- lic extract of seeds significantly increased collagen synthesis and its deposition at bone fracture portion in the treated rats. The tensile strength of the broken tibiae also increased.The seeds contain an alkaloid (0.19%), glucotropaeolin, sinapin (cho- line ester of sinapic acid), sinapic acid, mucilaginous matter (5%) and uric acid (0.108 g/kg). The seed oil exhibits pronounced oestrogenic activity.The seed mucilage allays the irritation of the mucous membrane of intestines in dysentery and diarrhoea. It consists of a mixture of cellulose (18.3%) and uronic acid-containing polysaccharides; acid hydrolysis yield L-arabinose, D-galactose, L-rhamnose, D-glacturonic acid and D-glucose.The plant contains pantothenic acid, pyridoxin and rutin. Ethanolic extract of the plant showed antiviral activity against rinderpest virus.
Dosage: Seed—3-6 g powder. (API, Vol. I.)... lepidium sativum
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