Maca 500mg | 100 or 250 Capsules | NOW Foods

Maca 500mg by NOW Foods

This is maca as Peruvians have eaten it for centuries: ground, dried root, without a concentration step. Each capsule contains 500mg of maca from Peru. With 1 to 3 capsules per day, you decide how much you take. You can choose from a bottle of 100 or 250 capsules: the small bottle is a great way to get to know maca, the large bottle is convenient if you want to use it for weeks.

A tuber from the highlands

Maca, officially Lepidium meyenii, is related to radishes and turnips. The plant grows high in the Peruvian Andes, in places where the temperature drops far below zero at night and the sun shines brightly during the day. Only the tuber underground is harvested. After harvesting, farmers leave the tubers to dry outdoors for weeks, after which they are ground into powder. What many people do not know: there are different colors of maca, from yellow and red to black. Yellow maca is the most cultivated variety and forms the basis of most supplements. By the way, a tuber is not large, about the size of a large radish or a small turnip. In Peru, people have traditionally made porridge, soup, and a fermented drink from it, called maca chicha.

What is in maca root

Dried maca is primarily a food. About 60 percent consists of carbohydrates, about 10 percent of protein, and the tuber also contains fiber, fatty acids, and minerals such as potassium and iron. In addition, you will find substances in it that are typical for maca. Macamides and macaenes are fatty compounds that researchers do not find anywhere else in the plant world. Glucosinolates are also present, sulfur-containing substances that you know from Brussels sprouts and broccoli. By the way, macamides are only truly formed during the drying of the tuber after harvest, so the traditional way of processing matters. Maca is a source of energy, supports physical and mental performance, and helps maintain endurance, mood, and vitality*.

Whole root or concentrate

These capsules contain simply ground maca root, not an extract. That has an advantage: you get the root as it is, including the starch and the fiber. With 1 to 3 capsules, you take 500 to 1500mg of maca per day. Many people wonder whether it is better to take maca as a powder or in capsules. In short: powder is convenient for smoothies, but the earthy, slightly nutty taste is not everyone's favorite. In capsules you taste nothing and you know exactly how much you take. If you are looking for a higher dose per capsule, Now also has a 6:1 concentrate of 750mg. For an initial introduction, the regular root is a logical start: you won't find anything closer to what is served at the table in Peru.

Simply formulated

More than maca, a plant-based capsule of hypromellose and a pinch of plant-based magnesium stearate is not in it. Now makes the product without yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, or nuts. The color of the powder may vary slightly per batch, because it is a natural product. That says nothing about the quality, but only something about the harvest.

In short: the regular, dried maca root from Peru, in a convenient capsule. Choose your size: 100 capsules if you want to try maca, or 250 capsules if you want a supply for several weeks right away.

*Health claim pending European approval.