A Peruvian Herb That Provides a Powerful Libido Boost…Naturally!

You might not know it, but for thousands of years the Chinese have been the masters of herbal sexual wellness. They know which herbs work for increasing libido, sexual stamina, and enjoyment, and which don’t.

But there’s one particular plant called Maca Root that is so prized by the Chinese for its libido-boosting benefits that some Chinese smugglers have even been killed trying to sneak this unique herb out of Peru. But what exactly is Maca Root? And why is there so much fervor for it that people are actually willing to kill for it?

Here’s the straight scoop on the Maca Root herb that nobody else is talking about …

Hi, Steve Barwick here, for Targeted Nutrients…

Over the last few years, news headlines have blared “Maca Madness: Chinese Herb Smugglers Create Chaos in the Peruvian Andes” and “Prices Soar as Maca Root is Smuggled Out of Peru.”

Another news headline read, “China Buyers Go Crazy for Peru’s Maca Root.”

According to Tyler Smith, writing on the website of the American Botanical Council, and quoting the famous “Medicine Hunter,” Chris Kilham, who travels the globe looking for new herbal medicinals:

“The arrival of the Chinese buyers in the Peruvian Andes has caused extraordinary chaos…Yesterday a Chinese Maca buyer was shot dead in a field, and another was shot and badly wounded…It’s now fair to say that the situation is out of control. It has become very dangerous.”

Kilhan went on to say that “The Chinese Maca seekers include Red Dragon Triad crime syndicate members out of Hong Kong. They are armed, and carry large sacks of cash.”

Because of the chaos in Peru caused by the growing frenzy over Maca Root, the Peruvian government has finally begun to crack down on the illegal export of Maca to China. They learned that the Chinese were smuggling Maca plants out of the country in unprocessed whole-plant form so they could harvest the seeds and plant their own Maca fields in China.

And indeed, the Chinese did exactly that. Maca plantations in China now occupy more than double the acreage of the Peruvian plantations which were previously the world’s only source of Maca Root.

But of course, China has 1.3 billion people. So their goal in pirating the unprocessed Peruvian Maca plant was self-sustenance. Libido-boosting Maca Root is so highly prized among Chinese nationals – from high-ranking government officials to the common man – that keeping up with the increasing demand would have been impossible if they had to rely solely on Peruvian-grown Maca.

What is Maca Root?

The Maca plant is considered to be an herb. But it has a thick root that’s shaped similar to a radish. That root is used as a food staple throughout South America.

The powdered root of this unique plant, when used regularly, is said to dramatically stimulate libido and enhance sexual pleasure (and fertility) in both males and females, as well as providing dramatically increased energy and heightened mood and mental clarity. Historically, Maca Root is also prized for boosting longevity.

Maca Root has been used by Andean villagers since before the time of the Incas.

In the early 1500s when the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in South America, they found that Maca had been used as both a food and medical staple in the region for centuries.

History shows that the Conquistadors prized Maca more highly than gold, shipping tons of it back to Spain for the benefit of Spanish royalty who demanded it due to its invigorating qualities and aphrodisiac-like benefits.

You see, unlike prescription drugs such as Viagra® that merely force blood flow to the penis in males, Maca Root stimulates desire in both men and women, boosting energy, libido and sexual enjoyment in the process. That’s why it’s frequently referred to as the “passion plant of the Andes.” It heightens sexual desire and restores sexual pleasure even into old age.

What’s more, Maca Root has been used for centuries by South American natives as a daily energizer, and as a means of boosting sexual prowess and reversing low sex drive.

Maca’s scientific name is Lepidium meyenii. And what makes it both unique and rare is that it grows high in the harsh environment of the Andes Mountains in South America at elevations up to 15,000 feet.

So its rarity is directly related to the fact that it’s grown only in a very limited geographical area of the world – the Peruvian Andes, and now certain parts of China. And it’s in staggeringly high demand worldwide due to its profound energy-boosting and libido-enhancing qualities.

Amorous Cows

Early South American folklore says Maca Root first become known for its libido-boosting properties when ranchers in Peru noticed a startling phenomenon: the cattle on their farms began mating more frequently and with greater passion whenever there was Maca herb growing naturally in their pasture.

Native Peruvians later discovered that the plant’s roots have even more libido-boosting properties than its leaves.

Ever since that time, Peruvians have used Maca Root as both a food staple – it’s a carbohydrate vegetable rich in many important nutrients – and as a medicinal aid to help promote sexual virility and desire, physical endurance, energy, stamina and overall vitality.

When taken regularly, the processed root, in powder form, helps boost libido – often dramatically – and particularly in middle-aged to older men and women who might be suffering from age-related loss of libido.

In fact, in South America, where the natives have routinely added Maca Root to their daily diets, it’s widely credited with being the main reason both men and women in that region are able to maintain normal (and quite youthful) libidos well into their eighties and nineties.

Of course, because of its dramatic libido-boosting benefits, Maca Root is now rapidly gaining worldwide popularity among men and women over age 40 who might suffer from dwindling libido.

In fact, thanks to recent news articles about Maca Root which have appeared in the New York Times and other popular news media outlets over the past few years, plus several nationally-televised documentaries on the herb, there’s been a worldwide run on Maca Root, prompting the Peruvian government to pass new sustainable development regulations to help prevent the inevitable shortages.

Clinical Studies

While most of the evidence for the profound benefits of Maca Root are anecdotal accounts going back thousands of years, there have recently been some very interesting clinical studies on Maca Root conducted by South American researchers from major universities. And Chinese researchers have conducted some pretty good clinical research as well.

For example, in one study conducted in 1998, Chinese researchers found that feeding Maca Root extracts to normal male mice dramatically increased the frequency with which they coupled with female mice. That was an animal study, of course. But it was published in the medical journal Urology in 2000. So it was quite a big deal.

Other clinical studies have allowed researchers to discover some of the novel compounds in Maca Root that are responsible for its sex, energy and mood-boosting benefits. According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, M.D., writing in his best-selling book, Dr. Perricone’s 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health and Longevity:

“One of the world’s leading researchers into the use of Maca for enhancing healthy sexual function is Dr. Qun-Yi Zheng, who received his B.S. in chemical engineering from China’s Hunan University and his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has also been a postdoctoral research associate at Cornell University. Dr. Zheng is a leading expert in the standardization of botanical extracts.

Dr. Zheng and his team of analytical chemists analyzed Maca to discover what compounds might be attributable to its reputed ability to boost libido, enhance sexual function and increase overall energy. They discovered two previously unknown groups of novel compounds in Maca, the macamides and macaenes. And though these compounds occur in very small quantities, their effects are significant.”

Dr. Perricone explains that these discoveries have led to even more worldwide clinical and medical interest in Maca Root:

“As worldwide interest in Maca continued to grow, it caught the attention of one of the world’s preeminent ethnobotanists, Dr. Michael Balick, vice president and chair, botanical science research and training, and director and philecology curator, Institute of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden.

Dr. Balick teamed with Roberta A. Lee, M.D., medical director of Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, who’s clinical and research interests include ethno-medicine, to publish an important article entitled “Maca: From Traditional Crop to Energy and Libido Stimulant.”

Today the use of Maca is on the increase for boosting libido, enhancing energy, and improving sexual function. Many physicians, both in the U.S. and in Peru, are incorporating Maca in their practices.

…For example, Dr. Aguila Calderon, M.D., the former Dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at the National University Federico Villarreal in Lima, routinely prescribes Maca in his medical practice. He has found it useful for erectile dysfunction, menopausal symptoms, and general fatigue…”

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 sexual activity more frequently and with more vigor and stamina and pleasurable effect than similar adult males who were given a placebo.”

That study was published in the medical journal Andrologia in 2002.

While I haven’t seen any clinical research conducted on female adult humans yet, women are indeed some of the biggest Maca Root buyers. Some analysts say these ladies buy Maca Root for their husbands. But many women attest that they use it for its energy-boosting properties and to enhance their own libido.

Many women also use Maca Root to help tamp down some of the harsher symptoms of menopause and PMS, giving credence to claims that Maca Root helps the body balance its own hormone levels, naturally.

What the Experts Are Saying

Burton Goldberg, editor of The Alternative Medicine Definitive Guide to Cancer, is an avowed Maca Root enthusiast. He stated in the prestigious Townsend Letter for Doctors, “I’m a 72-year-old man and this Maca has taken 25 years off my aging sex life. That’s pretty important to me!”

Dr. Gary F. Gordon, former president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine has written, “We all hear rumors about products like Maca. But using this Peruvian root myself, I personally experienced a significant improvement in erectile tissue response.”

Dr. Gordon explains that unlike some libido-boosting products that work by raising hormone levels, Maca Root appears to work by normalizing levels of steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone and estrogen which work together in the human body to influence libido.

Maca Root is not a hormone itself. But it apparently helps bring the body’s regulatory hormones into homeostasis, meaning proper balance. Dr. Gordon takes great pains to point out that Maca Root works equally well for boosting libido in both males and females alike, thanks to its hormone-balancing benefits.

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D., an internal medicine practitioner in Arkansas has written:

“Whenever possible, I prefer to use Maca therapy rather than hormone replacement therapy because HRT actually ages the body by diminishing the hormone-producing capability of the glands. Maca, on the other hand, is safe, natural, and has proven to be very effective with menopausal patients in eliminating hot flashes and depression and in increasing energy levels.”

Finally, there’s Dr. Hugo Malaspina, M.D., a respected cardiologist in Lima, Peru. He writes:

“Maca regulates the organs of internal secretion, such as the pituitary, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, etc. as a means of both balancing the hormones and increasing sexual desire. I also have perhaps 200 female patients whose premenopausal and postmenopausal symptoms are alleviated by taking Maca.”

In other words, everyone from alternative medicine experts to orthodox medical practitioners – plus hundreds of thousands of middle-aged men and women from around the world – are taking Maca Root and raving about its libido-boosting and energy-boosting benefits, as well as its apparent ability to bring hormone levels into more youthful balance in both men and women without potentially toxic hormone replacement therapy.

No Drug-Like Side Effects

Best yet, when used as recommended, Maca Root has none of the adrenal-inhibiting side effects that are common with the use of synthetic hormone prescription drugs. Nor does Maca Root have any of the potentially dangerous side effects of Viagra® (heart attack/vision disruption). It’s a very safe herb.

People with excessively high blood pressure might want to check with their doctor first, because Maca Root does have a mild, stimulating effect on the body. Fortunately, however, researchers say it mostly stimulates the neurons in the brain, particularly those in the so-called “pleasure center” of the brain that controls mood, desire and arousal.

As natural health expert George Foss recently stated, “In 20 years I’ve personally never heard of a single adverse reaction to using Maca Root. However, I’ve heard a plethora of very positive reports. Health food store managers tell me it’s hard to keep Maca Root on the shelf, as it’s so highly prized by some of their more upscale clientele.”

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow recently reported using Maca Root in the morning, in what she calls her “Sex Dust Smoothies.” And there have been online news articles claiming that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have been taking a Maca Root product at the recommendation of Dr. Oz.

In fact, in 2014 Dr. Oz included Maca Root on his “Energy-Boosting Hot List” of nutritional supplements. And sales of the product boomed nationwide at precisely the time the herb was getting harder and harder to obtain.

As one Targeted Nutrients customer recently wrote to tell us, Maca Root really works:

“Hi, I’ve been using your Maca Root product for several months now, on a regular daily basis, and I just thought you might like to know about my experiences. First of all, every time I take it, I get a nice, very pleasant mental lift out of the product. It reminds me just a little bit of ginseng, but without the jitters or muscle tightness. Instead, the Maca Root is very pleasant. It makes me feel good, mentally and physically.

Secondly, and much to my surprise, it really does make me hornier. I’d been experiencing low libido for several years, but figured it was just part of getting older. But it made my wife think I was losing interest in her.

I had tried the little blue pill, from the doctor, and it worked great as far as improving my ability to get an erection goes. But it made my heart feel like it was beating in my throat. That scared the hell out of me. Plus, it did nothing for sexual desire. Having sex seemed to have changed from being the pleasurable experience I always enjoyed to something more akin to a chore I had to perform. And I found myself making excuses to avoid it.

That really bugged me because I knew it was unfair to my wife. So I tried the Targeted Nutrients Maca Root product and it’s really altered my perspective. After several weeks I actually felt that old school-boy urge coming upon me, from the inside.

You mention research showing that Maca Root affects pleasure centers in the brain, and I think it really does. At least, for me, it was like someone turning on a switch in my brain, only gradually. It not only made me feel better than usual, both mentally and physically, but it also brought back that old desire.

I’m glad you provide 90 capsules to the bottle, because I generally take three capsules at a time, rather than the single capsule recommended on the bottle. That seems to work best for me. But I wanted you to know that my skepticism about this product was completely alleviated the very week I tried it. And I’m grateful that you provide this unique supplement, along with enough information to trigger my curiosity. Thanks!”

— S.S., Las Vegas, NV

Maca Root Works for Both Men and Women

As mentioned previously, Maca Root is not anything like Viagra® or any of the prescription medications that work through the body’s nitric oxide cycle. First of all, those types of drugs are used almost exclusively by men, for the express purpose of achieving an erection.

Maca Root, on the other hand works for both men and women. But it’s used for boosting libido, which is to say, increasing sex drive in those who might be gradually losing interest in sex as they age.

Instead of forcing a particular organ of the body to function, Maca Root boosts the flagging desire for sex. It increases passion. As a friend of mine recently stated during a speech at a health conference, “Maca really puts the fire back into your furnace.”

If I had to say it succinctly, though somewhat crudely, taking Maca Root on a regular daily basis makes you feel good and horny again. And when you’re good and horny, everything functions better in that department.

Of course, as with just about any herbal supplement, there’s some controversy over exactly how Maca Root works. Some researchers, including Maca research expert Dr. Gloria Chacon from Peru, believe that Maca Root promotes optimal function of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands, which in turn helps balance your body’s natural hormone production levels.

Again, Maca Root itself is not a hormone. But as Dr. Chacon’s research suggests, and as I mentioned earlier, it helps regulate hormones naturally, bringing abnormally low levels up and abnormally high levels down.

The result is a more youthful balance of hormones that leads to more youthful sexual desire. And that in turn, of course, leads to greater sexual arousal. And it works equally well for both men and women.

Other researchers however dispute this theory. They believe Maca Root works chiefly by stimulating a complex neural circuit in the brain that’s directly involved in sexual arousal. These researchers point to the melanocyte-receptors in the brain, which are known to play a significant part in human sexual arousal.

Based on the clinical research I’ve seen, I tend to believe Maca Root does both. Competing researchers are simply discovering different routes through which Maca Root triggers sexual desire and pleasure.

Regardless of how it actually works, the main point to understand is that it really does work. For many people, Maca Root’s role in enhancing sex drive and arousal can be quite dramatic. When taken regularly, it triggers a heightened sense of sexual awareness, desire, passion and sensuality. If desire is running low, Maca Root makes you want sex again.

How Long Before It Begins to Work?

At the smaller dosages of, say, just one or two capsules of Maca Root a day, people generally have to take Maca Root for at least several weeks, allowing its libido-heightening benefits to build up in the body. At higher dosages of three capsules per day, the libido-boosting benefits start kicking in faster.

Even at the smaller doses, people tend to immediately notice increased energy, stamina and a profound new sense of well-being along with sharper mental focus. And over the course of a few weeks, that newfound energy and improved mood and mental acuity begins to translate into increased sexual desire. And if the daily dosages are continued, the sexual desire sticks with you.

What’s more, Maca Root is both safe and natural. In Peru it’s been consumed daily for hundreds 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.

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, many Targeted Nutrients customers also use it to banish fatigue, low energy levels, exhaustion, bodily weakness, and even mild depression.

Indeed, Maca Root is a great 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 also take it to reduce hot flashes and mood swings, while men often take it to improve work-related energy, stamina and mood.

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 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