Two of the most powerful adaptogens on the planet, maca and ginseng, are often compared to each other. Heck, maca even gets called “Peruvian ginseng” sometimes!
Ginseng root, a common herbal medicine revered in Chinese medicine, has been more widely known for longer. More recently, the maca root is gaining attention. Hailing from the mountains in Peru, it’s been widely used by native communities high in the Andes Mountains for generations. Recently, the rest of the world is catching on to what Peruvians have known all this time: maca is a powerful adaptogen and superfood with multiple health benefits.
The two do share quite a few similarities, but they’re not interchangeable. How are they different? How are they similar? Read on, and you’ll be an expert on using each for best results for everything from anxiety to libido to your overall health.
Both maca and ginseng are great for increasing energy, focus, and alertness. When coffee just isn’t working for them, many turn to maca or ginseng for energy stimulants without the crash. A study at the Mayo Clinic with cancer patients struggling with fatigue found that though four weeks of use didn’t provide much result, continuing to take ginseng daily improved their energy after eight weeks. In contrast, A study on maca published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information included results of increased performance for cyclists after just 14 days of use.
Unlike coffee, both of these adaptogens may require regular use to get the full energy-boosting benefits. But also unlike coffee, neither will give you that post-coffee slump.
Both ginseng and maca are often used for sexual function, from libido to erectile dysfunction and more. But here’s an important area to know the differences between the two: both are energy enhancers, but generally maca is the one that may improve libido in both men and women. Ginseng, on the other hand, is used for men—and usually not for sexual desire but for erectile dysfunction.
In addition to its benefits to libido, maca is often used to balance hormones. This can assist women experiencing symptoms of menopause and peri-menopause. It may provide relief from hot sweats and restless sleep, along with help for a lagging libido.
Maca, which may assist with multiple hormone-related conditions, has a more well-rounded assortment of potential benefits in sexual health.
Adaptogens are plants that help us “adapt” to stress. Both of these impressive adaptogens are known to improve mood and relief stress. But each work on helping you with your stress in different ways. Ginseng works to reduce inflammation, whereas maca works to balance hormones, according to Amy Myers MD. It’s thought that ginseng’s affects on stress may be due to increasing blood flow to the brain.
Maca, in contrast, assists in battling chronic stress by balancing hormones, as we’ve mentioned before for menopause. Rather than taking hormone supplements, maca provides the building blocks for balanced hormones—amino acids—to help your body regulate its hormones naturally. We often think about hormones when we’re talking about sexual health. But hormone balance is great for so much more than just menopause and sex life! From depression and anxiety to memory to digestion to hair loss: an imbalance in hormones can affect your entire body.
Both maca and ginseng are regularly used for everything from energy to sex drive to stress relief to strengthening the immune system. With so many potential benefits, it’s fair to say both are a good resource for improving your overall health.
Maca is also a superfood, meaning it has a high level of nutritional benefit for the calories consumed. Because of all these additional nutrients, maca provides deep whole-body benefits. It’s full of essential amino acids and fatty acids, and high in vitamins and minerals. In fact, it has more potassium than a glass of milk and is loaded with both fiber and protein.
If you’ve had a ginseng tea from your local Chinese shop, you know it can be quite bitter. Though worth the bitter taste, the flavor can make it more difficult to include in your regular habits. Maca, with its mild flavor, can be easily added to drinks, smoothies, and oatmeals, to mention just a few.
Because both ginseng and maca provide their full benefits when taken daily, explore ways to make these adaptogens an easy part of your daily practices. Perhaps that means ginseng is taken as a pill, or maca becomes the regular part of your morning smoothie.
Whatever adaptogen habits you build to support your health and battle chronic stress, both ginseng and maca can help get you there. It’s only up to you to set that daily habit on the road to health.
Health Need
Maca
Ginseng
Libido
Erectile Dysfunction
X
Hormone Balance
Energy Boost
Stress relief
Mood booster
Immune system boost
Overall well-being
Superfood nutrition
No bitter taste for ease of regular use
Comes in capsules, powder and extracts
Cost effective
We hope this article was helpful to you.
If you have any questions, please let us know. We're always happy to hear from you.
Find out which maca we recommend for you
Enjoy the day!
I shop around a lot for my supplements and health foods, and I have to say you guys at The Maca Team are light years ahead of anyone else selling maca out in the marketplace. Thanks for all you do!
By Jim Price, The Green Marketing Guru
Loving the red maca from themacateam. I can tell the difference from my usual store-bought brands. It really tastes so fresh and sweet compared to others. I really love this product. Thanks for sourcing it for us to enjoy
By Michelle Gebbia
I LOVE Maca Team Maca...this was my first purchase with the Maca Team and I have no need to try any other Maca-producer. The Maca tastes fresh and flavorful, the Kilo bag is a great price, and I feel so much more at ease (Maca is such powerful medicine :) )
By Lizzie Thompson
I take 24 products from five to six times a week to increase my well-being and sensual and sexual delights. ;D The Maca Team’s organic maca is one of them—nine grams in my smoothie, Monday to Saturday. The Maca Team is a small business run by a family who cares about its customers, its Peruvian maca growers, and the environment. It's vital to know the source of everything we put in our mouths. Physical and mental health are precious treasures. :D
By Jerry Montero
By Milt Thompson
This product is amazing! I have used other cheaper brands of white maca with fairly good results, but after trying the Maca Team maca, I noticed within two weeks all of my menopausal symptoms had completely vanished. Others described a bad taste and smell, but I have tried the black and the red and find them both to be mild tasting. I use a tablespoon in my daily smoothly
By Joy
Maca first came to us by our vitamin supplier. Then we ordered from the Maca Team. Comparison? Think fire-fly, then think mid-day sun. At 76 and 73 years respectively, that is a big deal; and at comparable cost too. We never have we had such speedy delivery and the packaging is the strongest, most protective we've seen, ever, at all ... anywhere. Further, the Mrs. no longer takes hormone supplements. And Mr. scans the morning want ads for steady P/T work.
By George & Sherri
I had been using another brand of maca powder and decided to try The Maca Team's. The difference in freshness is night and day, and better tasting . I'm 6 foot 250 lbs. and take 4 teaspoons every day w/ my protein shake. Great energy boost and just feel great all day. I can tell a difference when I do not take it. best price that I have found {36oz}. I will be buying more as needed.
By J.D.
I've tried various maca brands over the last 20 years and The Maca Team brand is very special. There is definitely a difference when it comes to the quality and colors of the maca. This red maca does seem to nourish certain parts of my body while the black maca nourishes something else. I know I've been missing the nutrition these maca provide. I'm 75 years old and bodies wear out, but I'm finding I'm regaining a functioning body. How wonderful is this?!?!!!
By Janis Ihrig
I just wanted to thank you for your excellently constructed website. I am a physician and I recently started learning about Maca. I get a very good sense of it, and I expect I will try it out myself and possibly be recommending it to patients in the future. If so, your website will be the first place to send people. Thanks again.
By Adam Holt
Love the Maca team, In an earlier comment I said I was on the fence about where to buy Maca .Not anymore .You shouldn’t be either. The team has answered any questions I’ve had promptly. I feel like I’m dealing with friends, not some company far away out for my money only. The Maca is fresh, prices are good, the people are nice. If you’re on the fence, don’t be, you won’t be sorry.
By Bob
My Maca came in today and it has all the information on it! I must say this is the best tasting Maca I have tried!! Thank you again for a great product!! I will only order from you in future as well!
By Stormi Evans
First I would like to say I love this product. I was very skeptical about a natural product with so many benefits but this stuff really works. Second, I love this company. From the web site to the way they run their company this a top-notch team. I will be ordering from The Maca Team from now on. Great job guys keep doing what you are doing.
By Darren Rivers Sr.
We love this product. I own a store and work with clients holistically. We have recommended maca for years however, this is the highest quality product we have ever carried. I am proud to offer it in my store.
By Mellissa Gage, Infinity and Beyond
I am really happy that I chose the Maca Team, today you can find many distributors selling Maca powder, however quality of the powder is impossible to compare. Moreover, the results after 2 weeks I could feel. Before I was taking maca powder and I did not feel any changes. But since I started taking Maca from Maca Team the changes are incredible. So, I did a test.:) I gave the powder to my partner ... and after 2 weeks he was impressed and told me that he has more energy, feeling happy... Thank you The Maca Team!!!!
By Olga
I do want to say that I have done quite a bit of research on different companies that offer Maca and The Maca Team definitely is the most reputable. Thank you again for your kindness and professionalism :)
By T.C.
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