Maca For Menopause Relief - Does It Work?

In this article learn how Maca, a simple, ancient superfood from Peru, is becoming a top natural menopause remedy for women all over the world and find out which Maca works best to relieve the symptoms of menopause.

What Is Maca?

Maca is a root vegetable that grows at very high elevations (13,000 ft/4000 m) in the Andes. It has been used for 1000s of years as a nutritional staple in the daily diets of people living in the mountains and is one of the most important crops grown in Peru. Maca is a survivor, growing in very inhospitable conditions including high winds, intense sunlight and extreme temperature extremes. As a partial result of these conditions Maca is incredibly nutrient dense, containing a wide range of proteins, amino acids and vitamins (more on Maca's nutritional profile here). Maca also contains special nutrients that are believed to support hormone balance and a healthy endocrine system in both women and men. 

Maca And Menopause

Because of it's positive effect on hormones, people who take Maca report a wide range of benefits ranging from increased energy, to fertility to hair growth to muscle building and a lot more. Among these benefits, the positive effect Maca has for menopause is one of the most frequently reported We regularly hear from happy customers who share that Maca is helping them to minimize symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and irritability. In fact you can see nearly 100 letters from customers over on our testimonials page.   Here are a couple of examples from that page:

"I have been using red raw capsules for months now due to menopause symptoms such as hot flashes. My hot flashes are gone! I no longer crave sugar so I have lost weight. I feel better overall. I highly recommend this product." - Mary West

"There are a lot of Maca, products on the market, but this one really worked for me, a 58 year old menopausal woman. My hot flashes went away after 12 days, my memory is better and I have a lot less anxiety and depression. I am continuing to take the Red Maca Root Extract as directed and every day life seems a little better." - Suzan Baltozer

"I am pre menopausal and had various female issues starting. Because of this supplement I'm almost completely symptom free after only 2 months. Thanks for your product!"  Jennifer Holmes

Based on these types of feedback we are 100% convinced that Maca can help to support women with a healthy, easier and more comfortable transition through menopause.

How Does Maca Works Help Relieve The Symptoms Of Menopause?

One of the major benefits of using Maca for help with the symptoms of menopause is that Maca is 100% natural. Maca is not a medicine, nor a drug, nor even an herb. It is simply a food In fact Maca is classified as a type of flour That said, Maca is a powerful food that has effects beyond any other type of flour.   

Here's how Maca works with menopause:

1. Maca does not contain hormones at all Instead it contains some special nutrients called macaenes and macamides that help the body produce ideal hormone levels In the case of menopause, taking Maca will help the body produce more naturally occurring estrogen
2. In addition to balancing hormones, Maca works as an adaptogen An adaptogen is a food that supports overall life force and vitality and Maca is one of a very small number of plants that work in this way. (Ginseng is another example).
3. Finally, Maca powder is a source of a large number of nutrients including high levels of 10 minerals, 23 essential fatty acids and nearly all amino acids. The elevated nutrient content of the powder supports ideal functioning of the body.

Is Maca For Menopause Backed By Any Research?

Because of Maca's powerful effects as natural menopause relief, it has drawn increasing interest on the part of medical researchers over the last decade. A recent study completed in South Korea studied 17 different medical research databases in reference to Maca for menopause and concluded that Maca indeed did show positive effects on the reduction of menopause symptoms:

"We searched 17 databases from their inception up to June 2011 and included all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compared any type of maca-based intervention to a placebo for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. All studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane ‘risk of bias’ assessment tool. Four RCTs met all inclusion criteria. These RCTs tested the effects of maca on menopausal symptoms in healthy perimenopausal, early postmenopausal, and late postmenopausal women. Using the Kupperman Menopausal Index and the Greene Climacteric Score, all RCTs demonstrated favorable effects of maca." Maca (Lepidium meyenii) for treatment of menopausal symptoms: A systematic review.
Lee MS, Shin BC, Yang EJ, Lim HJ, Ernst E. Division of Standard Research, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea.

What Is The Best Kind Of Maca For Menopause?

Maca grows in 3 color ranges that are referred to as "black," "yellow" and "red." While all 3 have been shown to have positive effects on menopause, we've seen that Red Maca products seem to work the best. Red Maca has the highest phytonutrient levels of all Maca colors and is the sweetest tasting. As the Maca specialists, we offer Red Maca in Raw or Gelatinized (pre-cooked) forms and in powders, capsules or liquid extracts. We've made it easy to choose between those. Simply visit our Maca Finder page and we'll give you a personalized and specific recommendation.

Is Maca Safe To Take?

Maca has no known contraindications and is generally regarded as safe. That said, it has been shown to support lowered blood pressure. Because of that we recommend that anyone taking medicine for blood pressure check with their doctor before taking Maca. Also Maca does contain iodine If this is an issue for you again please ask your doctor. Finally if you have any sensitivity with your digestive system, please choose Gelatinized (pre-cooked) over Raw Maca. Gelatinized Maca has had the starch removed and is easier to digest than Raw Maca.

How Long Does Maca Take To Work?

Keep in mind that Maca is a food and not a drug or medicine. As such it takes some time to build up in the system and support ideal hormone balance. For most people initial results are seen within 2-4 weeks of starting.

To get the most out of taking Maca for Menopause remember to: 

1. Take the proper serving for your weight and health conditions. Check our complete Maca serving guidelines here.
2. Make sure that you take Maca regularly. Consistency, especially when you start with Maca, is a key to enjoying its full benefits.
3. Stay patient. Most people experience postive results in about 2-3 weeks of starting to take Maca. For others it takes longer – up to 6 weeks.

We hope this article gives you a helpful overview on using Maca as natural menopause relief. If you have any questions we're always happy to help Please contact us here.

Enjoy the day!