Maca for Improving Your Mood

We’ve touched on some of the ways maca can address the symptoms of anxiety and depression in the past, but with more Americans struggling with emotional imbalance than ever, we thought we’d take the opportunity to delve further into the research on the positive impact adding maca to your diet can have on your mood. Did you know that regular consumption of maca has been associated with improvements in emotional state? Maca doesn’t just give you more physical energy - it helps you go in lots of ways.

Can Maca Reduce Anxiety and Depression?

There’s no short answer to this question, because every body and thus every brain is unique in its own way. Like with any medical condition, it’s important to consult with your licensed medical practitioner in order to find a treatment that works for you. With that said, studies have found that regularly consuming maca has, in fact, reduced the effects of anxiety and depression in participants. In 2014, researchers found that “maca extract 250 and 500 mg/kg) showed antidepressant-like effects” in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress. They believe that adding maca to the mice’s diet impacted the activation of both noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, triggering these neurotransmitters to get to work.

Though it’s been historically associated primarily with boosting physical energy stores and improving the libido in both men and women, recent research has found that there are so many more uses for maca root. In 2015, for example, the results of a randomized controlled trial performed over 12 weeks suggested that regular maca consumption by postmenopausal women decreased diastolic blood pressure as well as symptoms of depression.

Even in cases where no apparent physiologically significant activity was observed, the results have been consistent - in comparison with participants given a placebo, those who took about 3.5g a day of maca root demonstrated reduced effects of anxiety and depression.

Elevating Your Mood With Maca

Our page on Maca for Depression contains more helpful tips and information for those considering incorporating maca into their diet in order to combat depression. It’s important to note that maca should be part of a balanced diet and exercise routine, and that it will take a few weeks of regular consumption before you may begin to see the real impact of maca on your health.

How can you get started? First, get an idea of your health goals and figure out what maca product would be best for you. Our Maca Finder selection tool allows you to input information about yourself and what you’d like maca to help you achieve before making a suggestion. While the inhabitants of the Andes region of Peru where maca has been historically grown typically consume their maca as a tricolor mix, recent research has linked particular maca root colors - black, red, and yellow - with particular benefits. Black maca, for example, is often recommended for those looking to build muscle, while red maca is associated with fertility. All of our organic maca products are certified Fair Trade and non-GMO, so whether you’re getting the most for your money with one of our raw maca powders or taking a few droppers of our convenient maca liquid extracts, you’re getting something that’s good for you.

More Questions?

We’re proud of our high-quality maca products, and we can’t talk about them enough! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Contact Us using our web form, or call us toll-free at 888-919-8616.

Enjoy the day!