Maca Is A Plant That Is Native To The Andes And Grown By The Indigenous People For Centuries As A Food Crop. But Aside From Being A Source Of Food, The Andean Natives Had Other Uses For It As Well. The Maca Plant, Belonging To The Mustard Family, Has A Long History Of Being A Medicinal Plant That Could Promote Sexual Function And Fertility. Following The Viagra Craze In The Late 1990s, Several US Drug Companies Began Searching For New Herbs That Exhibit The Same Effect As Sildenafil Citrate, The Plant Used For Viagra. Researchers Found Maca.The PlantLepidium Peruvianum, The Scientific Name Of The Maca Plant, Belongs To The Brassicaceae Family Of The Genus, Lepidium. It Is A Hardy Perennial Plant That Is Chiefly Cultivated High In The Mountains Of The Andes. The Common Names For This Plant Include Peruvian Ginseng, Maka, Mace, Maca-maca, Maino, Ayak Chichira, Ayuk Willku, And Pepperweed. Grown High Up To Altitudes Of 8,000 To 14,500 Feet Above The Ground, The Maca Plant Is Highly Tolerant To Frost. Its Mat-like Stem System Is Low-growing, Making It Perfectly Adapted To Growing In High Places. The Leaves Of The Maca Plant Are Scalloped And Lie Close To The Ground Which Makes Them Unnoticeable In Farmers Fields. They Produce Flowers That Are Off-white In Color And Are Rather Small And Self-fertile. The Root Of The Maca Plant Is Its Most Valuable Parts. It Is The Part Most Commonly Used For Medicinal Purposes. Tuberous And Dense, The Maca Roots Look Like A Large Radish With A Diameter Of Up To 8 Cm. Health BenefitsExtract Taken From Pounded Or Pressed Maca Roots Are Said To Have A Store Of Health Benefits For The Body. The Peruvian Vegetable Is Exported Today In Concentrated Forms. It Is Mainly Used As A Tonic To Provide Or Enhance Energy For The Body. The Early People Used It As An Aphrodisiac And Fertility-enhancer And Subsequent Studies Show Evidences To Support This Traditional Herbal Practice.During The Time Of The Incas, The Warriors Also Ate The Strong-smelling Root Of The Maca Plant To Boost Their Energy In Preparation For Battle. This Ancient Practice Then Became The Basis Of The Maca As An Energy Tonic Used By Athletes From Around The World. Traditional Herbalists Use Maca For A Variety Of Ailments. It Was Used As A Lubricant For Stiff Joints Affected By Arthritis. It Was Also Used To Ease Respiratory Illnesses. In Later Years However, Actual Scientific Proof Of These Numerous Health Claims Were Rather Few. Mostly, Maca Has Been Found To Be An Energizer And Stress-adaptor, Much Like Its Distant Cousin, The Siberian Ginseng.Today, Maca Is Mostly Promoted And Marketed As An Herb To Bolster Reserves For Endurance. It Is A Popular Fatigue-fighter. As A General Tonic, It Is Said To Counter Lethargy, Memory Loss, And Other Illnesses That Are Caused By Low Energy Levels. Also, Recent Studies Have Shown That Maca Root Has High Concentrations Of Calcium, Iron, Protein, Phosphorous, Fiber, And Mineral Salts. All These Nutrients Have Beneficial Uses That Help Maintain Health And Well-being.Aside From Many Nutrients, The Root Of The Maca Plant Is Also Said To Be Rich In Sterols, A Plant Hormone. Scientists Say That Sterol Acts By Normalizing Steroid Hormones, Including Testosterone, Progesterone, And Estrogen. For This Reason, Coupled With Ancient Peruvian Practice, The Plant Is Said To Improve The Sex Drive And Treat Impotence.TOTAL WORD COUNT - 570KEYWORDS "Maca" - 19 (density 3.3)
