How Many Maca Capsules Should I Take Per Day

Introduction

Maca root (scientific name, Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable in the mustard family that is native to the high Andes mountains of Peru and Bolivia.   Originally a wild plant, it has been cultivated for 1000s of years and eaten as a food source and as a remedy for conditions including lack of fertility, hormonal imbalance, fatigue and low libido.

Outside of the Andes, maca root is available in several forms including powders, chips, capsules and extracts.  Serving suggestions for powders and chips typically range from 3-9 grams daily.  Servings for extracts depend a lot on the type of extract.   But what about serving sizes for maca capsules?   In this article we’ll answer that specific question: “how many maca capsules should I take?”

Factors That Affect How Much Maca You Should Take

Before talking specifically about maca capsules, it’s important to take a look at the major factors that influence how much maca a person should take in general.    

Maca is a food, not a supplement or herb.   Traditionally it has been a dietary staple in the diet of people native to the high Andes.    To this day, people from that zone eat up to about 10g-100g of baked or boiled whole maca roots daily or at least several times a week.  

• Age – Your age can affect how much maca you should take.   For example, a woman going through menopause might end up taking more maca daily than she did when she was younger.   
• Weight – Body weight has an effect on the amount of maca you take as well.   Heavier people tend to need more than lighter people to achieve similar results.   
• Activity Levels – Very active people, athletes, body builders, etc. will take more maca on average than a person who is less active.
• Overall Health – This is an extremely individual consideration.  For some people it may make sense to take a bit more (for example men taking maca for prostate health), while for others it may make sense to take a bit less.   If you have a specific health condition that you are concerned about, we recommend consulting with a competent and knowledgeable health care professional before starting to take maca in any form.   
• Type of Maca – The type of maca you take, whether it is a premium (more concentrated) or standard product may also affect the amount which works best for you.  

The Optimal Recommended Serving Sizes For Maca Capsules

When speaking about maca capsule serving sizes in this article, we are referring specifically to our maca capsules.  Each capsule from The Maca Team contains 750mg of pure maca powder.  We do not use any other ingredients at all.  Other companies use fillers, flow agents and other ingredients in theirs and their capsules may contain a different amount of maca than ours.   Please refer to respective labels to confirm that.    

Here are the general serving sizes we recommend for our capsules:

Brand new to maca = 2 capsules (1.5 g) daily for the first few days.  Then increase gradually.

Experienced with maca = 4 – 12 capsules (3- 9 g) daily.  The exact amount you settle on will depend on several of the factors we mentioned above.   If you are unsure, a good recommended starting point would be 6 capsules.   If, after taking maca capsules, for 3 weeks, you are not noticing results then consider increasing your serving size.

Note: if you are taking one of our premium maca capsule products, you may find that you need to take less capsules to get similar results.   We recommend starting with 2 if you are new to maca and 4-8 if you are more experienced.   

It’s also best to start with a low serving size and gradually increase it over time. This approach will allow your body to adjust to the supplement and avoid any potential side effects.

Regardless of which type of maca you take, being consistent is an important key to getting the best results.  Make sure to take them every day for at least one month when first starting.  After that plan to take them 5 days a week or about 20-25 days per month.   This isn’t something you absolutely need to do.  You certainly can continue to take maca daily without issue.   That said, in our experience, we’ve seen that giving your body a break from maca for a day or two at a time can help increase overall benefits in the long run.  

How Much is Too Much Maca?

Since maca is a food there really is no possibility of taking “too much.”  But that doesn’t mean that more is necessarily better.   The body may not be able to maximize all the nutrients from maca if larger amounts are taken at one time.   While some of our most extreme athletes eat up to  20 grams of maca a day when they are training, they do that based on their weight and activity levels.   For most of us, the range of 3-9 grams is ideal.  

How to Take Maca Capsules

When taking maca capsules it’s best to take them with water and about 15 minutes before eating.  Most people prefer to do this in the morning shortly after they wake up.   Additionally, if you notice that maca capsules give you any indigestion symptoms, we recommend that you avoid eating fruit or drinking fruit juice for 30 minutes before and after taking them.   That’s because fruit is digested more quickly than other foods.    

Potential Side Effects of Maca Capsules

Maca is generally considered safe for most people, and there are no known serious side effects associated with adding maca capsules to your diet.   Some people may experience mild discomfort such as stomach upset, headaches, or insomnia. These are temporary and can be resolved quickly by reducing your serving size or discontinuing use.    

Conclusion

Knowing how many maca capsules to take is important to your overall success with maca root.  Using the guidelines provided in this article should give you a very good idea of how to set yourself up for that type of success.    

The most important things in achieving positive results are making sure you consume a quality Peruvian-grown product, that the capsules are pure and free from any other ingredients, that you take a good amount for your weight, age and goals and that you stay consistent with taking them.   

We hope this article has been helpful.  If you do have any further questions please let us know We’re happy to help.

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