Maca: The Health Benefits and Hot Maca Chocolate Recipe

Maca may not be the ultimate beauty to look at—have a look at the photo below and trust me, I tried to find the best looking one on Canva Pro for you—but it has many health benefits.

So, before we get to those health benefits and the recipe, let’s talk about maca itself.

Maca is a cruciferous vegetable, meaning that it is related to broccoli, cabbage, and kale. You know the stinky-smelly guys? It grows in high altitude—Andes Mountains in Peru, to be precise. I believe it’s been cultivated as a root vegetable for at least 3000 years and it’s a common ingredient in Peruvian cuisine.

However, that’s not how we in the West use maca. What we do is to grind it up into powder and either add it to our smoothies or take it as a supplement.

Now, let’s talk about health benefits of maca…

Remedy for Menstrual and Menopause Issue
Maca can be helpful in relieving various side effects of menstruation and menopause. It is effective especially in alleviating hot flashes and cramps.

Mental and Physical Energy
Incorporating maca into your daily diet can help boost your energy levels and increase endurance and stamina. It is ideal for athletes performing energy-demanding activities. Maca has also been shown to expand and sharpen mental memory and activity, making it an excellent remedy for fatigue.

Skin Health
Adding maca to your diet can do wonders for the health of your skin. Maca has anti-inflammatory properties effective in fighting acne or blemishes. Maca can also help reduce the sensitivity of your skin.

Improves Mood and Balances Hormones
Maca can provide effective relief for those suffering from mood swings, anxiety, depression, and other pre-menstrual symptoms. Hormone-balancing foods like maca can help regulate mood, sexual function, and emotions and prevent diseases.

Packed with Nutrients
Maca is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and antioxidants. It contains glucosinates, which are powerful antioxidants usually found on cabbage, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables.

Who Should Not Eat Maca?
According to Medline Plus, for some people with hormone-sensitive conditions such as ovarian cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis maca may act like estrogen and make the situation worse for those individuals.
As for pregnancy and breast-feeding, it is advised to stick to safe ‘food’ amounts as there isn’t enough information about maca’s safety.

Knowing the multiple health benefits of maca, now you can enjoy it even more! Here is the recipe for hot maca chocolate as promised: