Maca, the only known cruciferous root crop of the Americas, is a hardy annual plant cultivated in the high altitudes of the Peruvian Andes. It is found growing specifically in areas of common frost occurrence - on the tundra, barren steppes, summits and high plateaus of the Peruvian Puna and Suni regions.
These high Andean plateaus are an inhospitable region of intense sunlight, violent winds, and below-freezing weather. At altitudes of up to 14,000 feet above sea level, extreme temperatures and poor, rocky soil, the area rates among the world’s worst farmland; yet, over the centuries, Maca has evolved to flourish under these conditions.
Formerly considered a perennial plant, it has since been discovered to be a self-fertilizing annual with a two-stage life cycle; a vegetative and reproductive cycle. Its appearance is accurately summed up as a shrub with a low-growing, mat-like stem system, small, off-white flowers, and scalloped leaves similar to others in the mustard family.
The root, or hypocotyl, can be one of several colors (crème, crème-purple, purple and black) and is of comparable shape to a turnip or radish. The plant is grown from seed, and root maturation generally occurs within seven months.
The probable origin of the genus Lepidium has been traced back to the Mediterranean, where the majority of related diploid species are found. As a food staple, Lepidium meyenii was likely domesticated in San Blas, Junin, between 1300-2000 years ago, although recent archaeological evidence has indicated a much earlier domestication of more primitive cultivars of the plant.
The nutritional value of dried Maca root is high, and the protein content of Maca exists mainly in the form of polypeptides and amino acids. Maca is also rich in fatty acids, minerals and vitamins.
In addition to its rich supply of essential nutrients, Maca also contains an impressive array of bioactive components, any or all of which may be responsible for its numerous benefits. The primary bioactive components are believed to be Alkaloids, Glucosinolates and Sterols.
Alkaloids are a large group of pharmacologically active substances found in plants. Many drugs are from plant-derived alkaloids, including digitalis, morphine, atropine and codeine. The alkaloids identified in Maca include: Macaina 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Chacón) and Macamides and Macaenes (Zheng).
In 1961, Dr. Gloria Chacón de Popovici published research, which scientifically demonstrated increased fertility in numerous animal species using Maca. She discovered and identified the alkaloids present in Maca and proved that it was the alkaloids that were responsible for the positive results.
In studies with rats, Dr. Chacon found that animals given either Maca root powder, or alkaloids isolated from Maca root, showed multiple egg follicle maturation in females, while males had significantly higher sperm production and motility rates than in control groups. The effects were measurable within 72 hours of dosing the animals.
Dr. Chacón suggests that the alkaloids in Maca act on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis and the adrenals. She believes Maca has a balancing effect upon the hypothalamus, the master controller of the body, which then regulates the other endocrine glands, including the pituitary, adrenals, ovaries, testes, thyroid, and pancreas.
Glucosinolates (a group of sulphur-containing glucosides) are powerful anti-cancer plant compounds giving cruciferous vegetables their reputation as cancer-fighters. They are important because of their effects on enzymes and, particularly, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties against a variety of classes of carcinogens.
Glucosinolate metabolite examples include Indole-3-carbinol and isothiocyanates, which have been identified in Maca. Some researchers believe Maca's p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate is responsible for its aphrodisiac properties. It has also been shown to increase fertility in humans. Isothiocyanates are also known to alter estrogen metabolism in a favorable direction.
Sterols are a large subgroup of steroid-like compounds found in plants and animals. Maca contains several sterols known for their ability to reduce intestinal cholesterol absorption thereby helping to lower blood cholesterol profiles. Reduced cholesterol can positively affect erectile response if erection is compromised by artery-clogging fats.
Maca's ability to lower cholesterol seems to be an overlooked and understudied benefit of tremendous proportion as elevated cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis reaches epidemic proportions.