Maca is an extremely versatile ingredient, on top of being a superfood with an array of amazing health benefits containing many essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, Copper, Iron, Potassium, Vitamin B6, Manganese. Due to its sweet, yet subtle taste, maca can easily be added to smoothies, porridge, energy balls or even hot chocolate for an delicious health boost.

Mood-Booster
One of the most well known benefits of maca is its ability to alleviate anxiety and reduce symptoms of depression, which is thought to be down to the flavenoids it contains. Maca has also been shown to provide valuable support for worn-out adrenals as the adaptogenic qualities of maca actually help your body control cortisol levels, which in turn helps reduce stress exhaustion, and protect against other negative effects caused by stress.

Workout-Enhancer
Along with improving mood maca is also thought to increase energy and athletic performance helping gain muscle, increase strength, boost energy and improve exercise performance, making it a popular choice with many athletes and bodybuilders.

Brain Food
It is believed that maca improves cognitive function, learning and memory due to it containing high levels of vitamin B, C and E and due to by its antioxidant and AcHE inhibitory activities which may offer relief from the symptoms of dementia associated with schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.

Fertility-Booster
Another one of macas fabulous properties is its ability to control and regulate hormones due to the fact that it is considered to be a herbal adaptogen. As a result of its ability to help control hormones it is also an effective aid to PMS and helping ease the symptoms of menopause, as although it doesn’t mimic oestrogen it can help stimulate production if levels are too low. By balancing the hormone ratio, Maca can be a huge help in increasing fertility in both men and women and simultaneously lowers the bodies LDL levels, while increasing the HDL levels.

words by Violet Clay

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