7 Important Maca Tips

Making Maca root powder part of your daily diet is an effective natural way to boost your overall vitality and energy levels. Maca (maca lepidium) is one of a few plants that are classified as an adaptogen (ginseng is another). These type of plants are said to contain amino acids and other nutrients that enhance life force energy. 

To help you get the most out of taking Maca products, we've put this list together. We hope it helps you understand how long it takes for maca root to work and find the best time to take it. And as always, please reach out to us if you have any further questions on how to take maca powder.

1. Keep Your Maca Fresh

At The Maca Team we intentionally order our products in small batches to ensure freshness.   Maca has a shelf life of 3 years, starting on the day it is made into a powder.   Nearly all of the maca powders we sell will be in our customer's hands within a few months of being made into a powder.   Sometimes, due to order minimums on our premium maca powders, that time frame will be somewhat longer.    Once you receive your maca here are some things to do to ensure freshness and potency:

• Maca powders, chips and maca blends: it's important to store these away from direct light and out of humidity. If you have one of our organic Maca powders, you can simply reseal the bag that it came in after opening. Alternatively, and especially in humid climates, you can store the powder in your refrigerator or freezer.
• Maca capsules: make sure that the amber jar lead is fully closed each time after use.  And store your capsules in away from light and humidity
• Maca extracts: simply make sure the bottle is fully sealed (lid is screwed on tight) after each use.  And store out of direct light.

2. Maca Serving Guidelines

The optimal amount of Maca for health and healing in most cases is, 1-3 teaspoons of powder per day. This is about 3-9 grams of powder and is sufficient for the majority of people. If you are a larger person or particularly active, you can consume more if you like. If you are closely aware of your body, it will help you know how much you should be taking. Should you experience too much of an energy boost when taking Maca, simply take a smaller amount next time. Please refer to our recommended Maca powder dosage page for full details and for personalized serving recommendations, based on your weight and lifestyle.

3.The Best Time to Take Maca Root

Maca root powder is classified as a food and is fine to eat everyday. In fact natives of the high Andes in Peru often have several servings of Maca daily. Maca does not contain caffeine or any other stimulant, but it can increase your levels of energy. For that reason, we recommend that you enjoy it first thing in the morning. If you work in the night or want an extra boost on a given night you could also try taking Maca in the evening. One thing that many of our customers do is take their main serving of Maca powder or capsules in the morning at breakfast time and then in the afternoon when their energy feels lower take a few droppersful of a liquid Maca extract for a quick lift.   

4. Can I eat Maca Powder with Other Foods?

Any type of Maca root can be ingested with food or without food.  The simplest way to take maca powder is by itself and on an empty stomach.  This allows it to absorb more quickly.   But if you have any digestive sensitivities or concerns, we recommend taking it with food. The benefits of Maca may be enhanced this way as it has more time to be absorbed in the digestive tract. It is important to understand that if you notice any indigestion after taking Maca, especially raw Maca, we recommend trying Maca without fruit or fruit juice. Fruit passes through the digestive system more quickly than other foods which can cause slightly gas or bloating in some cases. If any indigestion persists, make sure to try gelatinized Maca powder instead, as it is easier to digest.

5. Maintain Balance in Your Use of Maca Products

Having had over 20 years experience with this amazing superfood, we recommend that you take a break from it every once in a while. There are 2 ways to do this. First, after you've taken it daily for 4-6 weeks, we recommend taking one day off per week. An alternative is to take 5 days off in a row per month. The purpose of these breaks are to give your body a chance to stabilize its hormones without the influence of Maca powder. Plus, you'll find that after taking a break, you'll feel an increase in the effects of Maca.

6. How to Supplement Your Diet With Organic Maca

There are numerous ways to use this simple cruciferous vegetable. The easiest is to add the powder to hot and cold cereals, smoothies, protein shakes, salad dressings, soups and more. Please see our Maca recipes page for more info. If you are taking capsules, you can simply swallow them with water or another beverage of your choice. And as far as our extracts, they are the easiest to use. Just place a few drops under your tongue.  

At the Maca Team, we found that about 5% of our customers have a stomach sensitivity to Raw Maca Powders. They report minor gas, bloating or digestive issues when taking it. If this is an issue for you, then you should try our Gelatinized Maca. All of the starch content of Maca Root is removed in the Gelatinization process and upset digestive systems are simply not an issue with Gelatinized Maca.

7. Listen to Your Body

There are all sorts of pleasant things that happen while taking Maca, but none of them should be unpleasant or make you feel uncomfortable. We want to stress that Maca powder's uses, dosage and impacts can vary from body to body as we are all different. Listen to your body to find the best time to take Maca, how to use Maca effectively in your diet, and the proper dose for you.

If you experience anything which makes you feel unsure or anxious, please see your doctor to make sure it is all right for you to be consuming Maca powder in your diet.

If there is anything else we can do to help, please feel free to contact us. We’re happy to help.

Enjoy the day!