Exploring Red Maca Root For Women’s Health
Posted by The Maca Team on 2nd Sep 2020
The unique nutrient profile of maca root has made it increasingly popular in health circles as a means of potentially addressing a wide range of various imbalances in the body. Red maca root, in particular, appears to show promise for women who are seeking relief from the symptoms of menopause, hormonal imbalances, low fertility, and even chronic fatigue.
If you are unfamiliar with maca, it is a hardy root vegetable that looks like a cross between a radish and a turnip. It is native to the Peruvian Andes, where it grows at high elevations and endures harsh weather conditions. The root has been cultivated for thousands of years as a dietary staple of native Peruvian peoples, and it also has a long and storied history of being used in traditional medicine and even as a food for livestock.
Maca root actually can be found naturally in several color varieties, including yellow or cream, black, and the reddish-purple variety, which is the topic of this discussion. Red maca has been shown to possess the highest levels of nutrients compared to the other varieties, making it uniquely suited for potentially helping the body to cope with specific issues, especially ones of a hormonal nature.
As we learn more about our health needs and what our bodies require to be truly healthy, it is becoming more apparent than ever that diet plays a critical role; even when it comes to the very balance of our brain chemistry, hormones, and the overall health of our endocrine system. Paying close attention to what we eat and the nutrient quality of our food is important if we want to take our health issues seriously. In that regard, understanding the connection between proper nutrition and certain women’s health issues might be the key to finding workable solutions.
We will be taking a look at certain health issues that women face and how maca root may actually serve as a potential means of addressing these issues based on what we know about the nutrients found in this root vegetable and the research that has been performed on the subject up to this point. This guide will also provide a little more information on red maca in particular and why it may be more effective than the other varieties of maca for women’s health.
What Makes Red Maca Special?
There is very little difference between the specific varieties of maca root. Unlike other kinds of vegetables, such as potatoes, we’re not dealing with different species here, as the same harvest of maca typically includes every one of the different colors. The variance in skin color found in maca root doesn’t extend to the flesh, which is usually a creamy white regardless of which variety you are dealing with.
While the difference in skin color may be somewhat superficial, there is a noticeable difference in the way each variety behaves in terms of addressing certain health issues. The different colors of maca root possess slightly different properties, most likely due to the presence or lack of certain trace nutrients. Researchers tend to classify maca into the three varieties mentioned above based on what appears to be commonalities that are shared between larger color groups. Red maca, for instance, refers to all maca that has a pink, red, or reddish-purple appearance.
While black maca is considered to be the rarest of the three primary maca varieties, it is red maca root that is considered to have the highest nutritional value, as well as the sweetest flavor. Research would appear to indicate that the nutrients in red maca make it uniquely suited to address hormonal imbalances and related issues that primarily concern women.
Women face a variety of health challenges, especially as they grow older, and being able to potentially address them in a gentle and natural fashion through an improved diet may be the solution many women are looking for.
Dealing With the Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause is a hurdle for every woman, and while many leap it gracefully, it can be a trying time for others. Due to hormonal imbalances and other factors, menopause symptoms can range from agitating to debilitating. Symptoms can include terrible hot flashes, energy fluctuations, crippling fatigue, mood issues such as depression, and even migraines.
What’s truly worrisome about menopause and why it becomes such an issue for many women is that post-menopausal symptoms can linger for months or even years. Due to hormonal fluctuations, issues such as insomnia, low libido, chills, joint pain, and various mood disorders. Menopause can bring normal everyday life to a screeching halt right out of the blue, leaving many women without options or answers as to what to do about the state of their own body.
Red maca root contains beneficial nutrients that have been shown to help balance hormones and, in turn, aid in the reduction of menopausal symptoms. It’s thought that one of the secrets behind why maca is effective in this area of health is its adaptogenic properties. Maca root’s unique nutrient profile seems to help the body fight stress and adapt to whatever the body is dealing with. Specifically, they work to counteract the residual effects of stress on the body.
We know that stress can throw off hormonal balance, which plays a key role in determining whether or not menopause will be smooth sailing or difficult to handle. If maca root’s role as an adaptogen is able to potentially fight against the effects of stress, it stands to reason that it may be effective at helping women cope with the symptoms of menopause. By bolstering our ability to naturally manage stress, red maca may actually provide relief for women seeking a gentle, natural means of getting through menopause.
Using Maca For Skincare
Another major area of concern for most women involves proper skincare. Skin health can be adversely affected by poor nutrition and hormonal imbalances, with little in the way of effective treatments available. What can appear as only a petty issue only teenagers fret over can actually be a sign of serious hormonal imbalance if symptoms linger into adulthood or flare up at inopportune times.
The appearance of our skin is important because not only is it an important health indicator, it plays a huge role in our self-esteem and how we view ourselves. Whether it’s patches of red and irritated dry skin or embarrassing acne brought on by an overabundance of sebum, skin issues affect millions of people worldwide and have very few workable solutions.
Due to maca root’s beneficial nutrients, especially in terms of Vitamins that are known to help with skin health as well as its potential for balancing hormones, women concerned about the health of their skin may find that this root vegetable may be just the kind of natural solution they are looking for.
Outside of imbalances of the hormones, it’s known that stress itself can influence the health of our skin as well. The relationship between stress and our skin is well-established, as it concerns our glands, which are regulated by our brain chemistry. An increase in stress will send a signal to the brain to produce more substances like cortisol, which increases oil production. This is another instance where maca’s reputation as a stress-fighter may come into play, as its adaptogenic properties may be just what a stressed-out body needs.
How Red Maca May Affect Female Fertility
One of the other primary areas of concern for women that maca may be able to address is that of low fertility, another health issue related to hormonal imbalances. This is actually one of the potential health benefits that maca root is most known for, as it has been used to address matters of fertility in traditional Peruvian medicine for thousands of years.
While much of maca’s reputation in this area actually pertains to male virility, there is some evidence to suggest that red maca root may be able to improve a woman’s ability to conceive, again, most likely due to the root’s adaptogenic properties. The nutrients in maca may help support the body’s natural ability to regulate hormones and therefore improve the overall functioning of the ovaries.
Using Red Maca Root For General Wellness
As more research is conducted in regards to the benefits of red maca, it is enough to know at present that there certainly appears to be a link between including maca in the diet and improved general wellness. For women concerned about their health and are wondering what steps they can take to nourish their body and potentially reduce the symptoms of issues such as menopause and hormonal acne, maca may be the right solution.
There is a myriad of other health issues that maca may be useful in aiding as well, and which adversely affect women, such as osteoporosis and hair growth. Maca may even be quite beneficial for women who are pregnant due to its high overall nutrient content. It’s important to remember that maca root is not a drug or health supplement, but is actually a highly nutritious vegetable that can be taken anytime and incorporated into your diet in many ways.
One of the biggest challenges women face as they go through pregnancy is that of obtaining enough nutrients. Powerful food cravings come and go due in large part to the body yearning for a certain nutrient that is required to nourish both woman and baby. Maca root contains a trove of nutrients such as iron, calcium, Vitamin C, antioxidants, amino acids, helpful plant sterols, cancer-fighting glucosinolates, and more, all of which can be extremely beneficial women who find it hard to get these nutrients elsewhere.
What differentiates maca root from several other varieties of food is the bioavailability of its nutrients. The nutrients found in many foods, including common multivitamins, aren’t always easily absorbed by our bodies, especially if we are already dealing with stress or have a compromised digestive system. What maca root offers is nutrition in a highly absorbable form, which may be one of the reasons why it is potentially effective. Not only does it possess a great nutrient profile, but those nutrients are able to be utilized quicker and more efficiently.
For women who are concerned about the kind of nutrition they are getting and want to potentially strengthen their immune system, correct hormonal imbalances, or simply feel more energized, maca is certainly worth taking a look at. Red maca root specifically, known to contain the most nutrients of all the maca varieties, may be the ideal choice for women who want to bolster their diet naturally with a beneficial superfood.
Where to Find High-Quality Red Maca to Include in Your Diet
The quality of the maca you utilize is important, as the freshness and methods of growing and processing do impact nutrient content. For high-quality organic maca that will potentially provide the best possible results in terms of improved health, you can find what you are looking for here at The Maca Team.
We take maca cultivation seriously and have worked hard to make sure that our maca is always fresh, GMO-free, vegan, and natural. We understand how important it is to have access to impactful, bioavailable nutrition, which is why our maca is packed fresh and available in a variety of forms that make it convenient to use no matter what your preferences are.
Here in our online store, you will find an abundance of maca products, including raw red maca powder, maca capsules, all-natural maca extracts, and even maca coffee. If you are a woman looking for a quick and easy way to get more nutrients in your diet and potentially reduce the signs of menopause or issues related to skin health, hormones, or fertility, you can simply scoop some maca powder into your morning tea or coffee, or your smoothie of choice. You can also take our high-quality organic maca pills with you on the go for added convenience.
For more information on our quality maca products or to learn more about how maca may be beneficial to include in your diet, feel free to reach out to us at 888-919-8616, and we would be happy to help you.