Maca Root: The “Energy Herb” that Built One of the Seven Wonders of the World

If you’re over 40 and are seeking a way to enjoy the same robust vitality, stamina and energy levels as someone half your age, then you might want to consider the story of how a powerful energy-boosting herb called Maca Root helped the ancient Incas build Machu Picchu, the so-called “Lost City of the Incas” that surrounds the ancient Temple of the Sun – quite literally one of the seven wonders of the world…

Guest article by Fotis Chatzinicolaou, Personal Trainer

Picture this: The year is 1450 and you’re one of the Incas tasked with building Machu Picchu. To do this, you have to move enormous stones – some weighing over 55 tons – for long distances.

What’s more, you have to do so in a frigid, high mountainous climate in which the air is extremely thin, and breathing can be difficult upon even the slightest exertion.

Back then, there were no trucks or cranes. Your emperor didn’t understand the term “weekends off” or “overtime.” And you’d be beheaded if you were seen slowing down to catch your breath.

What would you do? How would you combat the daily fatigue? How would you prevent your energy from taking a nosedive, and your muscles from failing you when you needed them the most?

As it turns out, the ancient Incas had everything figured out. It didn’t matter if they were in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s or 60’s – they enjoyed youthful vitality no matter their age. And their greatest building project ever, Machu Picchu, still has archeology experts scratching their heads in wonderment at how the ancient Incas managed to pull it off under such impossibly strenuous working conditions.

So, what was their secret? They consumed on a daily basis a certain “energy herb”. This herb is called Lepidium meyenii, but today you may know it as Maca Root.

Of course, Maca Root has been known as one of the best libido-boosting superfoods in the world. But according to thousands of reports, people who consume this amazing plant on a regular daily basis, start feeling, moving, and performing like they did a decade or two ago!

And, as you’ll discover in just a minute, Maca Root might be exactly what people over 40 need to feel more energized from the inside out, and to enjoy more youthful stamina than they have in many years.

The Most Robust Plant in The World

Maca is the highest altitude plant in the world, growing up to 15,000 feet above sea level. At that altitude, it survives subzero temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius.

It also faces low environmental pressure, high UV radiations, hard winds, heavy rain, and low humidity.

Yet despite those harsh conditions, Maca Root not only survives…it thrives!

But how? Well, as you may know, the human body fights off diseases by creating antibodies and other protective factors.

According to scientists, Maca Root is also forced to create its own natural protective antibodies, enzymes, antioxidants (especially glutathione and SOD), alkaloids, polypeptides, amino acids (including arginine, serine, histidine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, valine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and threonine) and primary and secondary metabolites.

This way, it can endure the harshness of its environment, and even flourish. And since you are what you eat, you share in that same “built-in” robustness by consuming Maca Root.

The plant’s link to superior vitality was first demonstrated in a study that compared Peruvians who ate Maca Root with Peruvians who didn’t eat Maca Root.

The Peruvians who did eat Maca Root had significantly lower levels of serum IL-6, a protein inside your cells that, at high levels, can cause muscle weakness and chronic fatigue. That’s why overly-high levels of IL-6 are associated with slow walking, overall physical weakness, fatigue and even anemia – all signs of premature aging.

On the other hand, people with low levels of IL-6 – such as the Peruvian Maca eaters – enjoy increased vitality, strength and well-being, even as they grow older. Maca Root, when used regularly, appears to more or less permanently keep IL-6 levels from rising out-of-control in the human body!

This makes Maca a great choice if you want to maintain (or even regain!) youthful energy levels so you can continue to enjoy life. It may well be why ancient Incan warriors ate Maca Root before entering into battle, or before going on long and arduous hunting trips in which enduring stamina was required.

Soon after their conquest of Peru, the Spanish troops stationed in the mountainous highlands found themselves and their horses exhibiting signs of unusual bodily weakness and fatigue, probably due to the thin air and cold climate.

But when the local natives brought them Maca Root to eat, their weakness and fatigue vanished almost overnight. Even their steeds displayed miraculous stamina and energy, as if someone had flicked on an “energy switch.”

From that point forward, Maca Root was so revered for its dramatic effect on energy levels that it was used as a form of money – in 1549 the Spanish government took 18,000 pounds of Maca Root from the Peruvian natives as tribute, in place of gold!

Fast forward to 2009, researchers found that feeding Maca Root to cyclists dramatically improved their 40 km cycling time performance. As a bonus, it also increased their sex drive!

Another study conducted in 2017, proved that mice fed Maca were able to swim for longer distances. They did this by retaining more glycogen in their muscles. As you may know, glycogen is the “fuel” of your muscles.

This might explain why people and animals who consume Maca Root can keep moving when others around them are pooping out – their muscles need less fuel than usual!

Finally, a 2019 study examined Maca Root’s effect on a variety of physical attributes. Researchers gave Maca Root to one group of patients and a placebo to another group. After 28 days, both groups had their fatigue, strength and sexual appetite tested. And as you might have guessed, the Maca Root group came out on top!

What Makes Maca Root
So Darned Good For Your Energy Levels?

Until lately, most researchers weren’t sure what made Maca Root such an energy-boosting and stamina-enhancing plant.

So, I decided to go through the most recent scientific literature and give you the straight scoop that nobody else is talking about. As you’ll discover, there are 3 different ways Maca Root can help you fight fatigue and increase your energy and stamina.

#1: Macamides – One of the ways Maca Root gives the body loads of vibrant energy is through compounds called macamides, which are metabolites (i.e., metabolism boosting substances) that are completely unique to Maca Root.

No other plant on the face of the earth has these astonishing, energy-boosting metabolites, which researchers describe as “bioactive marker compounds” since they’re part of what makes Maca Root actually work in the human body. A “bioactive marker compound” simply means a group of active constituents with overall therapeutic activity in the body.

So far, 31 different macamides have been discovered in Maca Root. And as it turns out, each of these molecules subtly boosts energy levels throughout the human body, thanks largely to their beneficial effects on metabolism.

#2: Macaenes – These are long-chain fatty acids found almost exclusively in Maca Root, which have been demonstrated to have numerous crucial bioactive functions in the human body.

Like macamides, the macaenes are also considered to be “bioactive marker compounds,” meaning active constituents of the plant with distinct therapeutic activities of their own.

Macaenes work by increasing the utilization of fatty acid as an energy source. This means they not only help lower unhealthy cholesterol levels in
the blood, but they help convert those blood fats into bodily energy.

As an aside, the team of analytical chemists who discovered macamides and macaenes in Maca Root found that, in experiments with animals, these two compounds were not just great energy-boosters, but were also phenomenal libido-boosters, as well.

In their animal experiments, these researchers found that both bodily stamina and frequency of copulation were increased radically as macamides and macaenes from Maca Root were added to the animal’s diets. In other words, macamides and macaenes not only increase stamina, but they also boost sex drive!

This research is what led Dr. Michael Balick of the New York Botanical Garden and Dr. Roberta Lee to write their ground-breaking feature article for Alternative Therapies magazine, entitled “Maca: From Traditional Food to Energy and Libido Stimulant.”

#3: Plant Sterols – As it turns out, Maca Root is a rich source of plant sterols, aka phytosterols, which are also known as “Mother Nature’s anabolic steroids.” These plant sterols include:

Sitosterol, which is widely known to dramatically influence the function of the cellular mitochondria, enhancing ATP production. Of course, ATP is the pure cellular energy that every organ in your body requires, 24 hours a day, for peak function. Interestingly, as it’s further metabolized in the body, sitosterol also breaks down into androstenedione, a steroid precursor which the body uses to produce testosterone, which in turn provides even more bodily energy, endurance and stamina.

Campesterol is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits in osteoarthritis. But it’s also known for its ability to act as a mild growth stimulant, similar to growth hormone. According to the Human Metabolome Database, campesterol is classified as both an “energy source” as well as an “energy storage” molecule, meaning that it’s needed and utilized by the body for the production of energy.

Ergosterol is a pro-vitamin form of vitamin D2, meaning that it converts to D2 inside the body. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, research from Newcastle University demonstrates that vitamin D is “vital for making our muscles work efficiently and for boosting energy levels.” That’s because the vitamin “enhances the activity of the mitochondria,” which produces our body’s cellular energy molecule, ATP. In short, ergosterol helps the body produce more cellular energy by converting to vitamin D2 and stimulating the cellular mitochondria to produce higher levels of ATP, which otherwise tend to dwindle as we age.

Brassicasterol, another plant sterol found in Maca Root, is catabolized (broken down into smaller molecules) in the body, releasing energy in the process. According to the Human Metabolome Database, brassicasterol is classified as both an “energy source” as well as an “energy storage” molecule, meaning that it’s utilized by the body for the production of energy.

Peruvian biologist and noted Maca Root expert, Dr. Gloria Chacon, says these particular sterols work their magic on the human body by stimulating the hypothalamus-pituitary axis, which are the master glands of your body that include the thyroid, the adrenal glands, the pituitary gland and the gonads.

It’s these glands regulate every organ that gives your body its vim and vitality. In fact, they control your body’s reactions to stress. And they regulate many bodily processes, including digestion, the immune system, mood and emotions, sexuality, and energy storage and expenditure.

So, by consuming those plant sterols, via Maca Root, you fine-tune your “internal metabolic engine” and quite literally energize your entire body.

So, if you’ve had too many of those days, lately, where you feel weak and rundown for no particular reason, taking advantage of Maca’s energy-boosting benefits might just turn the tide for you.

And Elaine Hollingsworth, author of Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry points out that many of the energy-draining symptoms relating to getting older have been “banished with the use of Maca”.

As you’ve discovered, Maca Root boosts energy levels in the human body through many different biochemical routes.

The macamides boost energy and stamina by raising the body’s metabolism. The macaenes boost energy levels by turning fatty acids into an energy source for the body. And the various plant sterols impart their multitudinous benefits to the body, stimulating ATP production in the mitochondria, increasing energy and even by acting as mild forms of growth hormone.

What’s important to understand is this: Unlike over-the-counter stimulants or prescription stimulant drugs which temporarily boost energy levels but end up draining the body’s energy reserves and reducing long-term stamina, the unique nutrients found in Maca Root act to build up the body’s own natural energy reserves and stamina.

Who Else Is Enjoying Maca’s Energy-Boosting Effects?

Dr. Gloria Chacon’s research on Maca and its fatigue-halting benefits impressed the Peruvian space program so much, they decided to include it in their astronauts’ diets.

This was a big deal because astronauts train like professional athletes. Their exercise regimen consists of weight-lifting, cardio and movement training aimed to help them survive anything that might happen in space. So, their diets include only nutrients that have been shown to stave off fatigue, boost energy and speed up recovery.

In 2001, Cienciano, a little-known Peruvian soccer team, stunned the world by winning the South American Soccer Cup after defeating the mighty River Plate from Argentina. According to their coach, the one thing his team changed in their diets before the big win was eating Maca daily.

Chris Kilham, a medicinal plant researcher at the University of Massachusetts, says that Maca Root “Is legendary for delivering energy, mental clarity, and enhancing libido.”

Also, Stephen Alrin, author of Raw Power – The Power of Raw Foods, Superfoods and Building Strength and Muscle Naturally , has used Maca for years and insists that it be included in his natural raw food bodybuilding supplements.

Mike Adams, also known as the Health Ranger says: “Many bodybuilders use, instead of artificial steroids, the natural power of Maca tuber. Maca safely and naturally stimulates the body’s own production of steroids and it gives visible results in strength and endurance sports.”

Likewise, in an article on Botanical.com, written by natural health expert Eirian Hallinan, it’s stated:

“Maca Root is eaten to boost endurance and increase energy and stamina. It can also help with chronic fatigue syndrome restoring lost vitality and vigor. Maca enhances memory and encourages mental alertness.

A long time ago, Spanish chroniclers described Inca warriors who ate boiled Maca Root before going to battle. It would increase their strength and also preserved their energy stores.

It is still seen as a beneficial fatigue and lethargy fighter. Plus, it helps with memory loss and other disorders which can be caused from not having enough energy.”

Peter Ragnar, who has performed various world-class feats of strength as a 100% raw vegan, says that he has gotten great gains in strength using powdered Maca Root and hemp seed powder.

Bijan Anjomi, who captured the title of “Mr. Universe – Natural Division” three times – in the years 1993 and 1994 at ages 51 and 52 – and finally in 2003 at age 60, did so as a vegan taking Maca.

According to nutritional supplement expert George Foss:

“When I worked at Kayser Nutrition, we had regulars who used small doses of Maca Root in place of their morning coffee. They said it produced a ‘cleaner’ and more enjoyable sense of alertness and awareness throughout the day than could be achieved with caffeinated beverages.”

David Wolfe, author of Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future, also attests to Maca’s energy-boosting benefits. He writes:

“Maca increases energy, endurance, oxygen in the blood, physical strength, neurotransmitter production, and libido. It supports the endocrine system, the adrenals, and the thyroid, typically improves one’s mood, and helps support healthy hormone production.”

Kim Evans, author of the book Cleaning Up! The Ultimate Body Cleanse, also says the energy-boosting benefits of Maca root are better than coffee. She writes:

“Find yourself depending on coffee for a boost in the morning? Why not try Maca instead? Maca is a root from Peru; it’s a tuber, like a potato, and offers an amazing energy boost for those with low energy. Maca, however, unlike coffee, offers energy in a non-caffeinated way that supports the body.”

I’ve personally used Maca Root many times for just that purpose, and I can attest that this is absolutely true. Its energy-boosting benefits are smooth and longer-lasting than coffee. So if you pop a capsule or two of Maca Root in the morning with breakfast, you don’t have to sit in the office drinking coffee all day just to stay awake.

Boosts Mood and Feelings of Well-Being

But it’s not just the increased energy levels that people love about Maca Root. It also triggers a distinctive sense of satisfaction and well-being, as if you’re back on top of the world again.

Selfhacked.com, a popular website that teaches people how to optimize their health through “bio-hacking,” states that one reason Maca Root leaves people feeling so good after they take it is because its fatty acids (such as the macamides) positively affect the human endocannabinoid system.

You see, macamides increase anandamide levels in the body by blocking enzymes that would normally degrade anandamide. In turn, the higher anandamide levels act on cannabinoid receptor sites throughout the body to produce feelings of pleasure, well-being, happiness and balanced energy!

This may well be why, in clinical studies, Maca Root reduced depression-like behaviors…lowered anxiety levels…improved mood…and increased reported quality of life. In other words, with Maca, you can enjoy the “feel good” qualities normally associated with cannabis use, but without the “high” or other negatives.

What’s more, it’s recently been discovered that higher amandamide levels promote neurogenesis, which is the body’s process of forming new neurons in the brain, thus enhancing communication and memory via synaptic plasticity! Many experts feel this is why…

…Maca Root Helps Beat
Cognitive Decline as You Age

Indeed, in a study titled “Preservation of Cognitive Function by Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Is Associated with Improvement of Mitochondrial Activity,” researchers discovered another profound benefit of Maca Root.

They found that Maca Root’s profound energy-boosting benefits also boost cognitive function, meaning Maca Root can be used to help protect against age-related cognitive decline!

The researchers concluded:

“Our findings suggest that Maca Root is a newly defined nutritional plant which can improve mitochondrial function and upregulate autophagy-related proteins and may be an effective functional food for slowing down age-related cognitive decline.”

They further stated:

“Recently Maca Root has been developed as dietary supplement for its potential advantageous effects on physical and sexual activity.

Multiple biological functions of Maca Root have been demonstrated by human and animal studies, including enhancing sexual drive and fertility in men and women, increasing vigor and energy levels, and reducing depression.

Mounting evidence indicated that age-dependent increase in mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, mitochondria are increasingly considered to be a target for preventing brain aging.

In this study, we found that preservation of cognitive function by Maca Root…was associated with the improvement of mitochondrial activity…”

In other words, the better your energy-producing mitochondrial function is, the better your brain function will be, and the less chance you’ll have of ending up with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia!

What Everyday People Say About Maca Root

What follows are comments from people online, sharing their experience with Maca Root and its amazing energy-boosting benefits. One individual wrote to say:

“I have been using Maca for about 3 weeks and just love the way it makes me feel. I would get sleepy mid-way through my day but now since taking Maca I don’t get sleepy anymore. I have more energy and I have even lost 6 pounds. I absolutely love it! Thank you!” – Allison D.

Another individual, a prominent bodybuilder, wrote to say:

“It makes a huge difference in the way I feel after 3pm. I work out twice a day (6am and 6:30pm) and I was struggling for energy when I first started it. I found a thread on here where someone mentioned Maca so I started looking into it. The energy is great…and so is the extra “drive” :-).”

Another bodybuilder stated of Maca Roots energy-boosting benefits:

“This stuff pumps me up more than any pre-workout supplement I’ve ever taken, and it’s very cheap.”

A person who used Maca Root for raising his low libido stated that it also boosted his energy levels:

“It does raise your libido, but the biggest benefits for me are the clarity of thought, boost in energy levels and mood.”

And another individual wrote to say:

“Was on Maca Root for a while, and noticed I gained mild energy and had sustained endurance. Didn’t fully realize how much of an impact it was having until I stopped for a few days.”

M. Smith wrote to say she feels like a younger woman since starting Maca Root. She wrote:

“I truly feel like I am 10 years younger since starting Maca Root. Things don’t seem like a chore anymore, like cooking or folding clothes. There has been a difference in my attitude and focus at work, also. There is no downtime or coming off of the dose like coffee or maybe ginseng.”

Another new Maca user wrote in to say, “I didn’t expect any miracles from this product. However, to my pleasant surprise, it worked. Probably a week or two into the course I definitely felt more energetic and had quite some more stamina than usual. The effect was steady and lasted throughout the course. Got myself another bottle :)”

And this Maca user wrote to say, “I have only been taking this for a less than a week and have already noticed a pickup in my energy. I was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, so my energy was always low and I would end up needing to drink a lot of coffee and was still tired. Since I have been taking the Maca I haven’t had the need to drink any coffee. Thank you!”

Finally, here’s one more testimonial that will put a smile on your face and make you yearn for Maca Root’s energy-boosting benefits:

Libido-Boosting Benefits

Of course, Maca Root is not just an energy-booster. It’s also known as the world’s most powerful natural libido-booster and for good reason.

Garry F. Gordon, M.D., President of the International College of Advanced Longevity Medicine in Chicago, Illinois says: “Using Maca myself, I experienced a significant improvement in erectile tissue response. I call it nature’s answer to Viagra^®.”

As mentioned earlier, Ancient Incan warriors ate Maca Root before entering into battle. But after conquering a city, Maca Root was prohibited in order to protect the women from the highly energized and sex-craving warriors.

There was also a 12-week double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized human clinical trial conducted at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. This study confirmed the same results in humans that previous researchers had found in animals:

“Adult male humans suffering from low libido who took Maca root during the study engaged in sex more frequently and with more vigor and stamina and pleasurable effect than similar adult males who were given a placebo.”

And finally, as one Targeted Nutrients customer recently wrote to tell us, Maca Root really works:

How Long Before It Begins To Work
and Is It Safe to Take Long-Term?

While the libido-boosting benefits of Maca Root can take several weeks to kick in, most folks notice the improved energy levels right away, i.e., within two or three days of using it regularly.

Even at smaller doses, people tend to immediately notice increased energy, stamina and a profound new sense of well-being along with sharper mental focus.

What’s more, Maca root is both safe and natural. In Peru, it’s been consumed daily for hundreds (actually, thousands) of years as a food staple. Even Peruvian children are given Maca root with meals because of its astonishingly high nutrient content. So it has an exceedingly long history of safe usage.

Where to Find the Very Best
Maca Root Supplement

While the popularity of Maca Root has soared over the past few years due to extensive news media attention (including an article in the New York Times and several subsequent TV documentaries), Targeted Nutrients has been one of the earliest proponents of its usage for its dramatic libido-boosting, energy-boosting and anti-aging benefits.

Indeed, we’ve quietly made this unique, rare and highly-prized herb available to the U.S. public for well over a decade.

While men and women use Maca Root largely for its ability to heighten sex drive and desire, thousands of Targeted Nutrients customers also use it to banish fatigue, low energy levels, exhaustion, bodily weakness, and even mild depression.

Indeed, Maca root is a phenomenal mood lifter!

Clinical studies have demonstrated that for mild depression it works as well, or better, than prescription anti-depressants. And it’s safer, because it’s all-natural.

Women undergoing PMS also take Maca Root to reduce hot flashes and mood swings, while men often take it to improve work-related energy, stamina and mood.

Now, you might think it’s starting to sound like Maca Root is some kind of “miracle” substance or “cure-all.” But it’s not. It’s just that restoring your natural youthful energy levels does a LOT of good for the body. Increased bodily energy and stamina consistently equates to increased physical and mental improvement.

And it’s very noticeable over time, when Maca Root is used consistently.

Finally, it’s important to note that Targeted Nutrients’ pure, high-quality Maca Root powder is harvested under strict sustainable development policies to help ensure shortages don’t develop due to its growing worldwide popularity. It’s then imported straight from the source for maximum freshness, purity and potency.

After importation to the U.S., the powdered root is then encapsulated, bottled and labeled in a fully-compliant, FDA-certified Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) laboratory.

Each capsule provides 500 mg of pure powdered Maca Root, and you get a whopping 90 capsules per bottle, so you can take up to three capsules per day, depending upon your need.

To take advantage of Targeted Nutrient’s special money-saving get-acquainted offer on Maca Root, simply click here.

Yours for better health the safe, natural way,

Steve Barwick, President
Targeted Nutrients