DOES MACA GET YOU FAT? – Truth or Myth?

The main property of maca is that it affects the estrogen and testosterone levels, favoring its increase. Thus, maca can make you fat or can help you lose weight, according to the type of metabolism of each person and the state of health prior to consumption. Most people are affected by gaining something if they consume a lot, especially by increasing fluid retention, by raising the levels of sex hormones and by containing carbohydrates, of which if abused, weight is gained. However, with a moderate consumption of this tuber, in most cases, it does not get fat. Thus, with these exceptions, maca does NOT make you fat: like every food, it depends on the balance you have between diet and sport.

In addition, thanks to this property and others it has, the consumption of maca is highly recommended for some women because it helps regulate female hormones, such as estrogens, contributing to their balance in menstrual cycles. It is also a great ally for those women who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and it is a food that reduces the symptoms of menopause, as it increases energy and reduces hot flashes. It can also help improve depressive states.

After solving the question of whether maca is fattening, what may really interest you are its properties and benefits. According to scientists from the National Institute for Nutrition and Food Safety, Chinese CDC, Beijing, China^[1], the nutritional composition of maca indicates that it has a high amount of proteins, amino acids, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins (especially vitamins B and C), tannins, riboflavin, thiamine, terpenoids, sterols, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, sodium, phosphorus and potassium . Other elements of its composition to be highlighted are alkaloids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, glucosinolates and plant sterols.

The amount of protein that maca contains is different depending on the type, as well as the contribution of other nutrients. In this sense, the one cultivated in Peru has higher levels of certain nutrients than that of the Chinese region of Yunnan. Regardless of where it is grown, the predominant nutrient in maca is carbohydrates: around 50%, sometimes reaching 60% of the total nutritional value. Regarding fiber, it contains 9%.

Thanks to this composition, this tuber has properties and benefits for our health that are very useful to us.

Maca properties

• Antioxidant
• Anti-anemic.
• Remineralizing.
• Emenagogue.
• Stimulating.
• Aphrodisiac.
• Antiviral.
• Antibacterial
• Antiseptic
• Sacainte.

Benefits of maca and its uses

The nutritional components of this food make it an ideal complement to the usual diet, especially if you have certain deficiencies and especially in the case of vegans, people with a tendency to have anemia, women with problems related to menstruation, among other cases . Among its benefits, it stands out that:

• Help to prevent premature aging cells, so it is used in both beauty and health treatments, in this case related to the skin, the heart and other vital organs.
• Helps to feel full, which is why many people use it to help regulate hunger and power lose weight more easily with adapted diets and exercise.
• A study from the National University of Trujillo^[2], in Peru, determined that maca contributes to increase sexual desire, Both men and women. This is because it acts the same in stimulating the production of estrogens and testosterone, among other aspects.
• Being a source of carbohydrates, protein and being an antioxidant, it is considered a particularly beneficial food for athletes.
• In some women, it serves to regulate some problems with menstruation, such as severe pain or irregular periods, polycystic ovaries and the chances of getting pregnant, since it increases estrogens and stimulates blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus, as it is emmenagogue. In this other post you can learn more about How to take maca to get pregnant.
• By raising estrogen, it also helps reduce the annoying symptoms of menopause.
• Being stimulating, antioxidant and remineralizing, it provides a high dose of energyFor this reason, among other aspects, it is used a lot by athletes, very active people and those who come out of an illness that has left them with low energy, such as the flu or if they have been in bed for a long time.

Taking into account all these benefits, you can become aware of the healthy food that is maca and its positive repercussions on the body. Even so, you should always consume it together with more products and not as a single meal since it is not a substitute for a daily meal and, if consumed in this inappropriate way, its properties would be insufficient for the daily needs of your body. Therefore, it is always advisable that consult with your doctor whether to take it or not and how it is best in your case, whether you want it to lose weight, to improve some aspect of your menstrual or sexual health, etc.

To expand this information, you can take a look at this other oneHOWTO article on What are the properties of maca.

The nutritional richness of maca makes it a food that can be taken both to gain weight and to lose weight. By knowing how to consume it, you can achieve either of the two goals.

How to take maca to lose weight

Maca can help you lose weight as long as your diet is adequate: remember that no food will make you lose kilos by itself, but the global count of your meals and exercise. There are several ways to take maca to lose weight:

• Maca tea or infusion.
• In flour or powder (dissolved in juices and soups, in some sauces and pouring their powders in salads).
• In smoothies (mixed with satiating or diuretic fruits, such as melon, pineapple and apple).
• In capsules.

In this other oneHOWTO article we show you more about How to take maca to lose weight.

How to take maca to gain weight

Maca can also serve gain muscle mass or body volume when retaining fluids. 100 grams contains approximately 400 calories, making it a great supplement in diets to gain weight. By not having fat, it favors the clean growth of muscle mass if it is worked frequently and correctly for muscle growth.

In addition, it is very easy to integrate into your meals: you can consume it in powder by adding it in protein shakes to gain muscle mass. If not, you can also buy it in capsules to take it regularly as a food supplement. Here you can learn more Tips and tricks to increase muscle mass.

As a guideline, the dose of maca usual is between 1 and 5 g of maca powder per day or a minimum of 2 capsules a day and up to a maximum of 15 a day depending on the case, so the dose should always be adjusted by a doctor.

This article is merely informative, at oneHOWTO we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Does maca make you fat?, we recommend that you enter our Healthy Life category.

1. Analysis and comparison of nutritional composition for dried Maca. Chinese journal of food hygiene, 3, 201-205: http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ZSPZ200703003.htm
2. Study of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.): Andean crop with therapeutic properties. Scientia Agropecuaria, 6(2), 131-140: http://www.scielo.org.pe/pdf/agro/v6n2/a07v6n2.pdf

• Cebrián, J., (2012), Dictionary of medicinal plants, Barcelona, ​​Spain, Integral RBA Libros.