Natures Gifts: Maca

Natural Wombn's Health is a Sacred and lost Art. Below is an ancient post from an old blog of mine. It was written back in 2011 and is still relevant Gnosis. This is the very beginning of my own Maca journey. I no longer take maca or eat maca, but I keep it around... just in case. :) 

I used Maca root to heal my body after I stopped taking the Hormonal BC Pill. Maca is an Adaptogen and is a great way to restore and revitalize. 

I have been doing some research (by research I mean books and articles for my own information) on natural ways to deal with health issues.  What encouraged me to do this was a recent convo with TBL about PCOS and PMDD. I am so damn tired of the way the medical establishment bends over backward for males (all of em even male women) and yet women’s legitimate health concerns and issues are dismissed and pilled and dieted to death.

Well, my research helped me find out about Maca Root and it’s benefits. I have also done some digging around for side effects and could only find a blog post from a woman detailing her experience with Maca. Of course the health benefits are routinely ignored in favor of promoting how sexxxay it is and how to boost libido and all that (mostly for teh menz.) I did, however, find this site and the following information:

Maca is a hardy plant that grows at high altitudes in the Andean highlands of Peru. Related to the turnip, it has been used as a food and medicine by indigenous South Americans for more than 2000 years. Maca is a rich source of the essential minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron; it is also high in protein and amino acids. These are all beneficial for the wellbeing of women of all ages. The high calcium content, for example, is useful for the growing bones of young girls in addition to limiting the development of osteoporosis in aging women.

But the principal benefit for women comes from maca’s unique array of phytonutrients. Included in the plant are fatty acids, plant sterols, and alkaloids, all of which are known for their respective health benefits. New York-based anthropologist Viana Muller, Ph.D., notes that “Maca has been used successfully by the native people of Peru for hormonal imbalances, menstrual irregularities, fertility, and menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, loss of energy, libido, and depression.”

Maca is one of very few naturally occurring products that are considered to be an adaptogen. This refers to the ability of a substance to bring one or more of the body’s systems back into balance. Maca works on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands to normalize the entire endocrine (hormonal) system of men and women. So, regardless of whether glands such as the thyroid, adrenal, pancreas, testes, or ovaries are over- or under-producing their respective hormones, the active compounds in maca bring the system back to its optimum level.

For women, this is extremely fortuitous because hormonal levels fluctuate naturally during the menstrual cycle and throughout life. Therefore, if a woman is having hormone-related health problems, it can be difficult for a doctor to know what the ideal progesterone/estrogen levels should be for that woman at any given time of the month. Rather than supplement the body with either a synthetic or natural hormone, it is far preferable to use an adaptogen like maca which allows the body to achieve its own optimum balance of progesterone and estrogen.

Maca is a remedy for:

• Low Energy Levels
• Fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Mood Swings
• Low Sexual Desire
• Memory Problems
• Hot Flashes
• Night Sweats
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS)
• Irregular Ovulation
• Uterine Fibroids
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

From here.

One review I read and linked to in my first post about Maca, the author mentioned that women who are menstruating should take Maca only on days 1-14 of their cycle. I will be paying attention to that while also realizing that Peruvian women have been eating Maca for thousands of years.

What I have learned has me on my way to my local CVS to grab some Maca Root powder or capsules and try it out. I typically experience a great deal of pain with PMS and during ovulation as well and I am hoping this can help.  I will write in about how Maca Root affects me, and if it has helped/hurt, periodically.  I welcome anyone who is already taking Maca or has taken it or knows somebody that knows somebody who took it, to weigh in and share their experiences.

More information  here. And here.