Maca root benefits sexually: the Andean desire root

Imagine a root tough enough to survive frost, fierce sun and thin air above 4,000 metres in the Peruvian Andes, and then imagine people swearing it makes them hornier. That's maca. Lepidium meyenii is a cabbage family cousin of the turnip and radish, and it has been cultivated in the high Andes for at least 2,000 years.

The root looks like a squat radish and comes in yellow, red and black. After harvest it's usually dried in the open air for weeks and ground into a sweet, malty powder that tastes a bit like butterscotch with an earthy edge. Blend it into a smoothie and you'd barely know it was there.

Unlike many herbs on aphrodisiac lists, maca is a real food. In Peru people eat it in porridge, bake it and brew it into warm drinks, often in far larger amounts than any capsule. Spanish chroniclers wrote that locals fed it to livestock to help them breed at altitude and took it themselves for fertility. Today it's one of the most searched natural aphrodisiacs, and people want to know which maca root benefits sexually are real.

Here's what makes maca a bit of an oddball. Most libido herbs are said to work by raising testosterone. Maca doesn't seem to. Studies that measured hormones generally found no meaningful change in testosterone or oestrogen, even when people said they felt more desire. Something else is going on, and that's what makes it interesting.

Nobody is entirely sure what. Maca contains unusual compounds called macamides and macaenes, plus glucosinolates typical of the cabbage family. Researchers suspect an effect on mood and energy, which would make sense, since feeling brighter and less drained makes it far easier to get turned on. Mood and energy are a believable route to the maca root benefits sexually that people describe, but the mechanism is still mostly guesswork.

The lack of hormone changes is actually good news for a lot of people. It means maca for libido is less likely to cause the spots, mood swings or other side effects you'd worry about with something that messes with your hormones. It's a gentle nudge, not a chemical sledgehammer.

One of the best-known trials, published in 2002, gave men either maca or a placebo for 12 weeks. Those taking maca reported higher sexual desire from around week eight, while their testosterone stayed exactly where it was. That pattern of more desire with the same hormones has shown up again in later work.

Researchers have also tested maca for sexual side effects caused by antidepressants, a common and frustrating problem that can make it hard to get aroused or come. Small trials in both men and women found some improvement in libido, and in women some improvement in arousal and orgasm, compared with placebo.

Reviews tend to land on the same verdict. The maca root benefits sexually look promising and fairly consistent, but the studies are small, short and few in number. It's reasonable to try, as long as you keep your expectations realistic and give it enough time to work. Think gentle upgrade, not miracle.

For men, the clearest of the maca root benefits sexually is desire itself. In the trials, men on maca simply reported wanting sex more often, without any change in testosterone. Some small studies have also found improvements in semen volume and sperm movement, which is why maca turns up in so many fertility blends.

There's limited evidence that maca helps with erections. One small study in men with mild erectile dysfunction found a slight improvement in self-reported erectile function and wellbeing, but it was tiny and needs repeating. If getting hard or staying hard is a regular problem, maca isn't the fix. A GP can check for causes and offer treatment that really works.

What men who like maca tend to report is more energy, more interest and a bit more get-up-and-go. Paired with decent sleep and less booze, that can translate into more spontaneous sex, more morning fun and more enthusiasm when your partner starts something. Small changes, but they add up.

Maca for women has a surprisingly decent little evidence base. Small trials in women with antidepressant-related sexual problems found better libido and, in some cases, easier arousal and orgasm. In postmenopausal women, a few studies reported less anxiety, fewer low moods and better sexual function after several weeks of daily maca.

Because it doesn't seem to change oestrogen, maca has become popular with women who want something for desire without a hormonal treatment. That doesn't make it a replacement for HRT or medical care. If you have hot flushes, vaginal dryness or painful sex, talk to a GP or menopause clinic, as there are effective options.

Where maca can shine is as part of a simple daily habit that leaves you feeling a bit more energetic and a bit more in your body. A maca smoothie in the morning, a lazy evening, a partner who takes their time going down on you. Desire often likes a little help from every direction at once.

Yellow maca is the most common, the cheapest and the colour used in many of the studies. Red and black maca are pricier, and you'll see bold claims about both. Some animal research has linked red maca with prostate health and black maca with sperm production and memory. So is the extra cost worth it?

Probably not, at least for sex. There's no strong human evidence that one colour beats another for libido. If you want to follow the research closely, black maca is a reasonable pick for men interested in fertility and red for those curious about prostate health. Otherwise, a good yellow or mixed maca does the job nicely.

• gelatinised powder is pre-cooked, gentler on the stomach and great in smoothies
• raw powder is cheaper but more likely to cause bloating
• capsules make it easy to keep the dose consistent
• fresh powder should smell sweet and malty, never musty

Price is a rough quality guide here. Very cheap maca is sometimes old, badly stored or bulked out with fillers. Buy from a brand that states where it's grown, keep the bag sealed and store it somewhere cool and dry. Stale maca tastes flat and dusty, which makes the daily habit much harder to stick to.

To get the maca root benefits sexually seen in trials, most human studies used between 1.5 and 3 grams of maca a day for six to 12 weeks. That's roughly half a teaspoon to a teaspoon of powder, depending on the product. Start low and build up over a week or two so your gut has time to adjust.

Consistency beats timing. A big scoop before a date won't do much, because the studies tested daily use over weeks. Most people find the easiest way to remember is to tie it to breakfast. Maca blends beautifully with banana, cinnamon, cocoa or coffee, and it makes porridge taste a little like caramel.

Try a sexy little evening ritual too. Warm a mug of milk or oat milk, whisk in a teaspoon of gelatinised maca, a spoon of cocoa, a pinch of cinnamon and a little honey. Make two, curl up together and let it be the signal that the evening belongs to you both. A comforting drink and undivided attention go a long way.

Maca for libido only works if you actually take it, so make it delicious. The malty, nutty flavour plays well with sweet and creamy things, and a teaspoon disappears into most breakfasts. Gelatinised powder is best here because it mixes smoothly and is kinder to your gut than raw powder.

• banana, peanut butter and maca smoothie
• porridge with maca, cinnamon and a spoon of honey
• maca hot chocolate with a pinch of chilli
• a teaspoon stirred into your morning coffee
• energy balls made from dates, oats, cocoa and maca

Keep portions sensible. A teaspoon or so a day is the goal, not a heaped tablespoon in every snack. Nobody knows exactly how much long, hot baking affects its active compounds, so stirring it into drinks and porridge is the safer bet. Share your maca hot chocolate with a partner and turn it into a cosy, flirty nightly habit.

For most healthy adults maca is well tolerated, which makes sense for something people eat as food. The common maca side effects are bloating, wind and an unsettled stomach, especially with raw powder. Switching to gelatinised maca usually sorts that out. Taking it with food helps as well.

Some people find it a little stimulating and notice poorer sleep if they take it late in the day. Others report feeling jittery or getting a few more spots. If that happens, cut back or move your dose to the morning. Your body usually tells you quickly if the amount is too much.

As a cabbage family plant, maca contains goitrogens, compounds that can affect the thyroid in very large amounts, so check with your doctor first if you have a thyroid condition. Avoid it in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, and get medical advice if you have a hormone-sensitive condition or take antidepressants or other regular medicines, as safety hasn't been properly studied.

The biggest mistake is giving up too soon. A fortnight isn't a fair test when the studies saw changes after six weeks or more. The opposite mistake is taking huge amounts to rush things, which mostly just upsets your stomach. And skip the sugary maca snack bars, since a sprinkle in a chocolate bar won't match what was tested.

Don't buy the marketing that says maca will balance your hormones or replace medical treatment. It won't. Think of maca root benefits sexually as a gentle background boost, and keep a quick weekly note of your energy, mood and how often you've felt horny. After two months, you'll know if it's earning its place in your cupboard.

In the meantime, don't wait for a root to do all the work. Tonight, try a slow make-out session with a no-sex rule for the first twenty minutes. Anticipation is a powerful turn-on, and teasing builds arousal for everyone. Whatever happens next, make sure it's something you both want.