Nutritional Profile of Maca

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.
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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).
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)