WHAT IS MACA? CAN IT HELP FERTILITY?

Maca For Fertility - How It Works and How To Use It

One of the most common questions I get is from men and women who have heard about using maca to boost their chances of having a child.. Judging from these questions, there's a good deal of misinformation out there regarding how to use maca in this way. That's why I wanted to offer this detailed article.
How Maca Helps Both Men and Women
Maca is one of a few herbs that are believed to be "adaptogens." These special kinds of herbs adapt to a variety of conditions within a given body and help restore it to a healthy balance. Maca in particular works on the endocrine system to balance hormones in both men and women.
Scientific studies, some of which are referenced below, have found that using black maca boosts sperm count in men and even increases sperm activity. Similar studies show that females given maca respond with increased regularity in cycles and easier ovulation. Another result of taking the herb is a marked increase in libido for both men and women.

 

In addition to balancing hormones taking this superfood powder also provides excellent nutritional support. It is rich in amino acids, phytonutrients, fatty acids, vitamin and minerals. Both men and women who are properly nourished greatly increase the likelihood of conceiving a healthy child.
Tips On Using Maca To Boost Your Chances of Conception
If you do decide to use maca in this way there are several things that you should do and keep in mind in order to maximize your success.

1. Use only high quality, fresh, certified organic products. Unfortunately there are many inferior products on the market that are made from chemically grown maca or from old maca roots that have lost their potency.
2. Use the right amount. Using maca in this way is considered to be a therapeutic usage and therefore you need to take a therapeutic dosage consistently and regularly.
3. Both partners should take it For maximum efficacy you and your partner should be taking the powder. Maca comes with a number of other benefits, so it should be easy to convince him/her to do so.
4. Women should consider using red maca. It's the rarest and most nutritionally dense form of the plant. It's also the best for female fertility.
5. Men should use black maca. It has been shown to increase sperm count and sperm motility

Scientific Studies on Maca Relevant to This Topic

• Gonzales, G. F., et al. "Effect of Black maca (Lepidium meyenii) on one spermatogenic cycle in rats." Andrologia. 2006 Oct; 38(5): 166-72.
• Bustos-Obregon, E., et al. "Lepidium meyenii (Maca) reduces spermatogenic damage induced by a single dose of malathion in mice." Asian J. Androl. 2005 Mar; 7(1): 71-6.
• Ruiz-Luna, A.C., et al. "Lepidium meyenii (Maca) increases litter size in normal adult female mice." Reprod. Biol. Endocrinol. 2005 May; 3(1): 16.
• Gonzales, C., et al. "Effect of short-term and long-term treatments with three ecotypes of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on spermatogenesis in rats." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Feb 20; 103(3): 448-54.



Supplement with Maca

• Gonzales, G. F., et al. "Effect of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on spermatogenesis in male rats acutely exposed to high altitude (4340 m)." J. Endocrinol. 2004; 180(1): 87-95.

Conclusion
If you are looking to increase your chances of getting pregnant naturally, without invasive surgical procedures, maca is certainly the supplement to try. Adding maca for fertility to any program or strategy can only help your overall health and chances of conceiving a child.