The fashionable Andean superfood to raise energy can be used in many ways, and here in nutstop.com we bring you tips and recipes.
Maca is a plant that has been grown 4000 meters high, cultivated and used by the Andeans for more than 20 decades, and is modernly and fashionable used as a beneficial health food that promotes any meal or smoothie.
The traditional uses of maca have been as a tonic, fertility, and libido enhancer. It is also considered useful to treat symptoms associated with menopause and treat various conditions, be they respiratory, rheumatism, anemia, depression, fatigue, among others.
Different varieties – distinguished by color, be it black, yellow, or red – would have other properties. The black maca shows better results in spermatogenesis, memory, and fatigue, while the red maca reverses benign prostatic hyperplasia and osteoporosis.
Studies with traditionally made Peruvian maca have shown various beneficial effects, and in parallel, prolonged use has not shown toxicity in vivo or in vitro.
Of course, you have to take care of the origin. By the 90s, this root became popular, and its cultivation and use as a medicinal plant began in China. With the considerable increase in demand, farming systems with pesticides started to be used in that country, and Chinese maca studies show traces of these substances. Therefore, it is recommended to use maca of Andean origin.
Delicious Ways To Use Maca
If you had an excellent maca shake and felt the difference, it is very likely that you already love it. But if you tried it alone or without knowing how to combine it … ouch! We have been speaking wonders of its benefits, but in terms of flavor, it is not so graceful; it has a bitter aftertaste that you have to know how to tame.
The maca root is prepared in various ways; it is boiled, baked, and even fermented.
Today we find it in powder presentation on the market. Here are four delicious and practical ways to integrate it into your life:
- with Coffee. If you’re drinking morning coffee, add a teaspoon of maca and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Cinnamon softens it. You can do the same with a tea, but it tends not to soften it as much.
- Chia Pudding with maca + raw cocoa. The mixture with natural cocoa softens the flavor – you can even find presentations on the market that already have these two superfoods combined. Maca gets lost in the dish’s flavors and helps you start the day with a lot of energy.
