Also commonly called "Peruvian Ginseng," Maca is a powerful adaptogen, which by definition is a substance (food or nutritive herb), which brings the body to a heightened state of resistance to disease through physiological and emotional health.
TABLE 1. Composition of Maca
Components |
% |
Water |
10.4 |
Proteins |
10.2 |
Lipids |
2.2 |
Hydrolyzable carbohydrates |
59.0 |
Whole fibre |
8.5 |
Ash |
4.9 |
Source:Table taken from: D. Deni, G. Migliuolo, L. Rastrelli, P. Saturnino, O. Schettino, “Chemical Composition of Lepidium meyenii”, in Food Chemistry 49, USA1994; and Garró, Virginia, Macro y micro elementos de la Maca, Mimeo, Lima, 1999. |
Return to Top
TABLE 2. Vitamins
Vitamins |
mg |
B1 Thiamine |
0.20 |
B2 Riboflavin |
0.35 |
C |
10.00 |
E |
87.00 |
Source: B1 and B2 from Chacón, Gloria, La importancia de Lepidium Peruvianum (Maca) en la alimentación, y salud del ser humano, Lima, 1997; C and E from Garró Virginia, Op.Cit (1999). |
Return to Top
TABLE 3. Amino Acids
Amino acids |
mg concentration/g protein |
Aspartic acid |
91.7 |
Glutanic acid |
156. 5 |
Serine |
50.4 |
Histidine |
21.9 |
Glycine |
68.3 |
Threonine |
33.1 |
Cystine |
n/d |
Alanie |
63.1 |
Arginine |
99.4 |
Tyrosine |
30.6 |
Phenylalanine |
55.3 |
Valine |
79.3 |
Methionine |
28.0 |
Isoleucine |
47.4 |
Leucine |
91.0 |
Lysine |
54.3 |
Tryptophan |
n/d |
H.O. Proline |
26.0 |
Proline |
0.5 |
Sarcosine |
0.7 |
Source: data taken from D. Din, O Migliolo, L. Ratrelli, P. Saturnino, O. Schettino, “Chemical Composition of Lepidium meyenii” in Food Chemistry, 49, USA (1994) |
Return to Top
TABLE 4. Sterols Sterols (as steryl acetate derivatives)
Sterol |
% of Sterol mixture |
time (min.) |
Brassicasteryl acetate |
9.1 |
22.4 |
Ergosteryl acetate |
13.6 |
23.8 |
Campesteryl acetate |
27.3 |
25.0 |
Ergostadientyl acetate |
4.5 |
27.5 |
Sitosteryl acetate |
45.5 |
19.5 |
Source: table taken from A. Dini, G. Migliuolo and others, Op. cit. (1994) |
Return to Top
TABLE 5. Fatty Acids (as methyl ester derivatives)
Fatty acids |
% of
methyl ester mixture |
Dodecanoic (lauric) |
0.8 |
7-tridecenoic |
0.3 |
Tridecanoic |
0.1 |
Tetradecanoic (myristic0 |
1.4 |
7-pentadecenoic |
0.5 |
Pentadecanoic |
1.1 |
9-esadecenoic (palmitolete) |
2.7 |
Esadecanoic (palmitic) |
23.8 |
9-heptadecenoic |
1.5 |
Heptadecanoic |
1.8 |
9,12 octadecadienoic (linoliec) |
12.6 |
9-octadecenoic (oleic) |
11.1 |
Octadecanoic (stearic) |
6.7 |
11- nonadecanoic |
1.3 |
Nonadecanoic |
0.4 |
15-eicosenoic |
2.3 |
Eicosanoic (archidie) |
1.6 |
Docosanoic (behenic) |
2.0 |
15
tetracosenoic (nervonic) |
0.4 |
Tetracosanic (lignoceric) |
0.4 |
Fatty
acid saturated (%) |
40.1 |
Unsaturated (%) |
52.7 |
Saturated/unsaturated ratio |
0.76 |
Source: data from A. Dini, G. Migliuolo, L. Rastrelli, other, Op. Cit, (1994) |
Return to Top
TABLE 6. Minerals (mg/100g)
Minerals |
mg/100g |
Fe |
16.6 |
Mn |
0.8 |
Cu |
5.9 |
Zn |
3.8 |
Na |
18.7 |
K |
2,050.0 |
Ca |
150.0 |
Source: data from A. Dini, G. Migliuolo and others Op. cit, (1994) |