Maca Root
A root crop grown high in the Peruvian Andes.
- On the label as
- Maca (Lepidium meyenii) root
- Position
- 12 of 14, heaviest first
- Botanical or chemical name
- Lepidium meyenii
- Part used
- Root
- Where it comes from
- The Peruvian Andes, above 4,000 metres
- Human evidence for glucose
- Small — Very little human evidence for a blood sugar outcome.
- Amount in GlycoAid
- Not disclosed; part of one 500 mg blend
Maca belongs to the same family as broccoli and mustard and grows on a Peruvian plateau at altitudes where almost nothing else will. It has been both food and remedy there for a very long time.
It comes in yellow, red and black, and the colour is not decoration. The limited research available suggests the three differ chemically. Which one a blend contains is almost never disclosed.
What the research shows
Maca's research is about stamina, mood and sexual function rather than blood sugar. Several small human studies have examined those outcomes with mixed findings, generally using gram-scale doses.
On glucose specifically the human evidence is very thin. Animal work reports some metabolic effects and the plant contains compounds that interest laboratories, but there is no meaningful trial literature on glucose outcomes. It is also a nutritious root, and part of its reputation is simply that.
Evidence grade: Small
Very little human evidence for a blood sugar outcome.
What that means inside GlycoAid
Twelfth on the list. Traditional use is measured in grams of dried root, several times the entire blend, so its contribution here is necessarily small. The Small grade refers to blood sugar evidence, not to the plant in general.
Everything above describes maca root as a named substance at doses used in published work. It does not describe GlycoAid, which declares one combined 500 mg covering all fourteen ingredients and publishes no individual amount.
Cautions and interactions
- At food-scale intakes maca is generally well tolerated.
- It contains glucosinolates, which in quantity can affect thyroid function where iodine intake is low.
- There is some evidence of hormonal activity, worth raising if you have a hormone-sensitive condition.
- Pregnancy safety data is limited.
Questions About Maca Root
Three that come in most often about this ingredient.
Is maca a blood sugar ingredient?
Not primarily. Its research concerns energy, mood and sexual function.
Does the colour make a difference?
Limited research suggests the three differ in composition. Labels rarely say which is used.
So why is it here?
Most plausibly for general energy support, which is what tradition uses it for.
Other Ingredients In The Blend
The label lists ingredients heaviest first, so position is the only quantitative information it carries.
See all fourteen ingredients · About the product · Safety information
GlycoAid Contains Maca Root
Alongside thirteen other ingredients inside one 500 mg blend, taken as a single capsule a day.
- 14 ingredients in one 500 mg blend
- 30 capsules a bottle, one a day
- 60-day money-back guarantee from the charge date
- $49 a bottle on six with free US shipping
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