Yellow Maca

Many people have questions about the benefits of Maca for men and women. To date, hundreds of studies have found yellow Peruvian maca powder to be potentially useful for energy building, fertility, hormone balance, mental focus, and more (all of which are available publicly in the Pubmed database). Maca root is indeed a nutritional powerhouse, containing nearly all essential amino acids and free fatty acids, significant levels of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and C, minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium, a high concentration of bio-available protein and nutrients unique to Maca called macaenes and macamides. Maca is also an "adaptogen," or substance that is thought to help the body fight against and overcome stress.

It’s fascinating to spend some time in our maca fields during the annual harvest. Dedicated farmers use hand tools to gently dig around the leaves of the maca plant and extract their roots from the earth. After pulling them out of the ground, the roots are laid to the side. Once many roots have been extracted, another farmer will then start to bag the roots in burlap sacks for transport the flat ground where they will be sorted and dried before they are made into maca root powder.

The array of colors, sizes and shapes of these roots is a true testament to diversity in nature. Among maca roots that are categorized as yellow, you’ll find a spectrum of colors ranging from off-white to a very deep golden color. And sizes will range from small radish size to medium potato size.

The color of all roots, including yellow is concentrated primarily in the skin of the root. For that reason, you’ll notice that all maca powders are more or less beige in color. Yellow tends to be a bit on the darker side as the flesh of the roots are somewhat darker than the red or black maca roots.

Types of yellow maca we offer

Raw yellow maca is never exposed to heat above 105F/40C which preserves all nutrients at maximum levels. This, in our experience gives most people the highest chance of experiencing the most maca benefits possible. However, the raw product can be harder to digest for about 5% of people.

Gelatnized yellow maca is very easy on the digestion. It has been pre-cooked to remove most starch content as well as some of the spicy compounds common to the cruciferous vegetable family. It tastes a bit better and dissovles easier in liquids as well.

How to make sure you are getting the highest quality products possible.

Even more important than the color of the roots, in our opinion, is the source, freshness and quality of the maca you purchase. Here are our recommendations:

• Insist on organic maca, extracts or capsules only. Maca can easily be grown organically as it has strong defenses against pests. Some farmers do use chemical fertilizers, though. So make sure to find a certified organic product.
• Peruvian maca is simply the best. While maca can grow in other parts of the world, it is adapted best to the high Andes. We've seen some very inferior maca products that were produced in China. We suggest that everyone avoid those.
• Even though maca can be kept for up to 3 years after harvest, we recommend getting the freshest possible. Our products come to us in small batches to ensure that we are offering our customers fresh first.
• Non-GMO - This is easy since Peru has banned all GMO (genetically modified organisms) from all of it's agriculture until 2021.

What forms of yellow maca do you offer?

At The Maca Team we offer these products in various forms including organic maca powder, liquid maca extract, maca capsules and whole maca root chips. Each of these has their specific benefits in terms of use. You can find more about each one on their respective product pages or you can contact us for support.

Why would I choose yellow maca?

There are a couple reasons that you might want to pick this type of maca over the other colors. First, because it is more common, it is less expensive that red or black. Second, it is usually a bit milder in taste. Finally, we hear good reports from customers regarding their energy levels and overall hormone levels when using it.

To get the most out of adding any maca product to your diet, please follow these guidelines:

• Stay consistent with the product you choose for at least 30 days. Maca takes some time to work.
• Take 1-3 teaspoons of powder, 4-12 capsules or 2 droppersful of liquid extract daily.
• Try adding maca powder to some recipes to mix things up. 

If you have any questions please let us know. We're here to help!