Maca is a herb plant with many medicinal properties and has many beneficial effects in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Full of nutrition and minerals, the roots of this herb aid hormonal balance, improve sexual desire, increase male fertility, and help in healthy ovulation. People have reported taking between 1.5 to 5 grams of it daily for over 6-12 weeks in their diet to see its positive impact. Although it is famous for aiding in conceiving a child, there have been no scientific studies on this claim. It’s vital to consult with your healthcare provider before including Maca in your lifestyle.
When trying to conceive, many couples are suggested to keep a healthy diet and exercise routine, stress less, and focus on maintaining a happier lifestyle for better chances.
Maca is one such herbal supplement that has been focused on lately because of its properties in helping people conceive.
It has many beneficial properties aside from aiding couples to conceive. Mainly growing in the Andes of central Peru, this ginseng is available in powder form or as a supplement.
But does it have something to do with conceiving a child? Let’s find out how this plant might be changing lives.
What is Maca?
Since this plant has recently gained popularity because of its beneficial properties, many people might not know what Maca is.
Grown in the Andes in harsh conditions and known as ginseng, Maca is a cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale.
Scientifically known as Lepidium meyenii, it has a lot of medicinal properties.
The edible part is the root which might exist in various colors, and black Maca appears more effective than other varieties.
The roots are dried and consumed in powder form, but other means are also available.
Five ways maca helps in getting pregnant
It’s so famous because of its many properties, which are said to be helpful to conceiving parents in various ways.
1. Stress reducer
Maca root is said to alleviate psychological symptoms like stress and anxiety.
So when trying to conceive, one of your doctor’s biggest advice would be to get yourself out of stressful situations.
Stress is harmful while conceiving because it leads to high blood pressure and puts you at risk of a condition called preeclampsia, premature birth, and having a low-birthweight infant.
Maca is an adaptogenic herb that helps regulate stress in your body.
2. Aphrodisiac
Maca extract is said to increase libido in anyone who consumes it. For couples, sometimes, that’s the issue they face when trying to conceive.
Taking an aphrodisiac increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior.
Getting into the mood is sometimes the problem, and if foods such as Maca can help you increase your sexual desire, that could help in conceiving.
3. Increasing fertility in men
When conceiving a child, the male partner’s fertility is as important as a woman’s. For men, it’s essential to have a healthy and strong sperm count for conceiving a child.
Doctors suggest the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding smoking and drinking, as these majorly affect semen quality.
Maca root is said to have similar healthy properties, which aid in increasing men’s fertility.
As a herb, it might be true as it’s a natural food and not something artificial that can harm you.
Small studies are performed on this notion, and the results are somewhat positive, with researchers detecting an improvement.
4. Healthy ovulation
Healthy ovulation and a regular menstruation cycle are essential in achieving a pregnancy.
It becomes harder to conceive a pregnancy if you suffer from irregular periods as your ovulation period becomes more challenging to detect.
Doctors recommend adopting a healthier lifestyle, including a balance of work, healthy food, and workout.
A disturbed lifestyle can lead your hormones to get seriously messed up, affecting your menstrual cycle.
Maca powder is said to naturally help postmenopausal women keep their periods regular and promote healthy ovulation.
5. Highly nutritious
As a herb, Maca is also naturally high in minerals and vitamins.
Since it’s a natural food item, it possesses all the nutritional qualities that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and help you conceive.
It’s a good source of carbs, low in fat, and contains fiber. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, copper, iron, potassium, vitamin B6, etc.
Maca is also helpful for menopausal women
Menopausal is a sensitive time in any person’s life going through this time.
People suffer from different issues like hot flashes, mood swings, reduced sexual desire, sleep problems, etc.
Different people go through various symptoms, as estrogen is reduced during this time.
Maca extract is said to help alleviate menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and interrupted sleep.
Effectiveness of Maca in conceiving
Maca has much to offer regarding nutrition and helping men and women attain a pregnancy.
It can be added to many things in your daily life, like smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods, and other stuff to make it healthier.
The daily dosage is somewhere between 1.5 to 5 grams per day. It’s available in powder, capsules, and liquid extract forms. You can include it in your diet in whichever way you want.
People have seen a change in their lifestyle and feel healthier after 6-12 weeks of consuming Maca regularly.
Although no scientific study proves how Maca aids in conceiving, the tests performed have been on a small scale or with animals. It does help you achieve an overall healthy lifestyle.
It affects your hormone levels to change them for the better by balancing them out to increase the chances of conceiving since it’s derived from a plant and not anything with preservatives.
There’s no scientific evidence on how long it takes to get pregnant from including Maca in your diet, and extensive research still needs to be done to find answers.
So, it would be best if you didn’t replace it with the medications you’re taking. It’s best to consult your doctor before including this in your diet if you have any medical condition.
Maca for PCOS and acne
Maca might be beneficial for PCOS conditions, and it helps balance and stabilize a person’s hormones.
Maca is supposed to act on the hypothalamus, the gland that controls many body functions, and the pituitary gland.
The pituitary also controls the adrenal glands, ovaries, testes, and thyroid. Maca is supposed to balance your hormones, neither stimulating nor inhibiting them. So, overall it helps the hormones in balancing out.
If Maca can influence and balance the hormones, your menstrual cycle will also become normal and minimize PCOS effects. The same goes for acne, resulting from hormonal imbalance and outside forces, such as dirt.
Maca might also have adverse effects. If you have impaired thyroid function, it’s better not to take maca root powder because it contains goitrogens, substances that may interfere with the normal function of the thyroid gland.
Then again, no scientific study has been performed on this particular issue.
Sure, Maca is a herb that should benefit your body in other ways, but for treating a medical condition, it’s essential to consult your doctor before including maca root powder in your lifestyle.
FAQs
Does Maca increase the chances of getting pregnant?
There have been no human scientific studies to conclude to prove this claim. But there have been a few animal studies that have shown some promise.
Also, being a herb, there are no side effects in consuming such a healthy thing and making it a part of your lifestyle.
Although, you should consult your doctor if you have any medical condition that might worsen upon including Maca in your diet.
Is Maca good for PCOS?
The root of the maca plant is a traditional herb with many nutritional values.
It helps balance hormones and lowers cortisol levels, and it also helps reduce stress and anxiety and maintain mood levels.
So, a person with PCOS might benefit from taking Maca and can get help with their hormones and mood swings. Although, no scientific study proves this claim.
When should you not take Maca?
If you’re breastfeeding or pregnant, then you shouldn’t take Maca.
A small study also says that maca extract works as an estrogen in the body and gives you a boost, which is why it’s popular among gym-goers.
Many people use it as a caffeine replacement as it energizes the body. It’s better to consult a doctor if you have a hormone-sensitive condition before making it a part of your routine.
Can I take Maca during my period?
Maca is supposed to balance your hormones, providing significant relief and easing the PMS symptoms.
It helps menopausal women attain relief from mood swings and irritability symptoms—Check in with your doctor before you start taking Maca.
To summarize
Maca root powder has been gaining popularity these days, and when it comes to seeing its potential, I would say it does have it.
It’s a herb that should have significant consequences on your body if you include it in your diet.
It can be helpful with incredible nutritional value and properties, such as working as a stress reducer and being an aphrodisiac.
There’s still no guarantee that it helps in conceiving a child. There have been no scientific studies that would prove this claim, but it might aid in pregnancy.
Consult with your doctor before including Maca in your diet.
