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Herb library · Herb · Lepidium meyenii

Maca

An Andean root in the mustard family, eaten as a food and sold as a powder for sexual function, fertility and energy. A handful of small trials exist; reviews call the evidence limited, and maca did not change men's hormone levels in a controlled trial.

Traditional use

Maca grows only at high altitude in the central Andes of Peru, and it has been used there for centuries as a food and, in local tradition, for fertility, anemia and female hormone balance. It is sold today as a powder or capsule for libido, fertility, menopausal symptoms and energy.

What studies show

  • Limited

    Sexual function: a 2010 systematic review found four small randomized trials. Two suggested a benefit for sexual desire or function, one in men with erectile dysfunction also found an effect, and one in cyclists found none. The reviewers called the evidence limited: too few trials, too few people, and uneven quality to draw firm conclusions.

  • Limited

    Menopausal symptoms: a 2011 systematic review found four small randomized trials that all reported favorable effects on symptom scores, but the reviewers called the evidence limited and said its safety has not been proven.

  • Insufficient

    Semen quality and fertility: a 2022 review and meta-analysis of five small randomized trials found mixed and unclear effects; pooled results did not show that maca raises sperm concentration.

  • Limited· shows no benefit

    Hormones: in a 12-week randomized trial in healthy men, maca at 1.5 or 3 grams a day did not change testosterone or other reproductive hormone levels compared with placebo.

Be careful of

Cautions

  • ConditionIn a 90-day randomized trial in people with metabolic syndrome, those taking maca had a moderate rise in the liver enzyme AST and in diastolic blood pressure; the authors said this should be considered with high doses of maca powder.
  • NoteMaca is eaten as a food in the Andes, but reviewers note that the safety of maca supplements has not been established in larger studies.
  • PregnancyNo study cited here looked at maca in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Talk with your clinician first.
  • Ask a clinicianTalk with a clinician or pharmacist before using this if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to a child.

Sources

  1. Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review (BMC Complement Altern Med, 2010) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  2. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for treatment of menopausal symptoms: A systematic review (Maturitas, 2011) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  3. Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on semen quality parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Front Pharmacol, 2022) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  4. Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a root with aphrodisiac and fertility-enhancing properties, on serum reproductive hormone levels in adult healthy men (J Endocrinol, 2003) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026
  5. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) in combination with silymarin as food supplements: in vivo safety assessment (Food Chem Toxicol, 2008) (opens in a new tab) · NIH · read September 25, 2026

Reviewed September 25, 2026.