The perfect boost for your day! Grown in one region of the world above 14,000 feet in the high Peruvian Andes, Maca is a wholefood "superfood" that packs a punch! Regarded as "The Crown of the Andes" maca is abundant in vitamins, minerals amino acid, and antioxidants. Thorough scientific analysis and chemical breakdown documents Maca to be a nutritional store house of building blocks that fuel brain function, ease hormone irregularities, and nourish the body.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
270,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto
Organic v. Monsanto
More than 270,000 organic farmers are taking on corporate agriculture giant Monsanto in a lawsuit filed March 30. Led by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, the family farmers are fighting for the right to keep a portion of the world food supply organic—and preemptively protecting themselves from accusations of stealing genetically modified seeds that drift on to their pristine crop fields.
Consumers are powerful. For more than a decade, a cultural shift has seen shoppers renounce the faster-fatter-bigger-cheaper mindset of factory farms, exposéd in the 2008 documentary Food, Inc. From heirloom tomatoes to heritage chickens, we want our food slow, sustainable, and local—healthy for the earth, healthy for animals, and healthy for our bodies.
But with patented seeds infiltrating the environment so fully, organic itself is at risk. Monsanto’s widely used Genuity® Roundup Ready® canola seed has already turned heirloom canola oil into an extinct species. The suing farmers are seeking to prevent similar contamination of organic corn, soybeans, and a host of other crops. What’s more, they’re seeking to prevent Monsanto from accusing them of unlawfully using the very seeds they’re trying to avoid.
“It seems quite perverse that an organic farmer contaminated by transgenic seed could be accused of patent infringement,” says Public Patent Foundation director Dan Ravicher in a Cornucopia Institute article about the farmers’ lawsuit (May 30, 2011), “but Monsanto has made such accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers for patent infringement.”
Even as the megacorporation enjoys soaring stock, the U.S. justice department continues to look into allegations of its fraudulent antitrust practices (The Street, June 29, 2011):
Monsanto, which has acquired more than 20 of the nation’s biggest seed producers and sellers over the last decade, has long pursued a strict policy with its customers, obligating them to buy its bioengineered seeds every year rather than use them in multiple planting seasons. Farmers who disobey are blacklisted forever.
It’s a wide net Monsanto has cast over the agricultural landscape. As Ravicher points out, “it’s actually in Monsanto’s financial interest to eliminate organic seed so that they can have a total monopoly over our food supply.”
Imagine a world devoid of naturally vigorous traditional crops and controlled by a single business with a appetite for intellectual property. Did anyone else feel a cold wind pass through them? Now imagine a world where thousands of family farmers fight the good fight to continue giving consumers a choice in their food—and win.
via Organic v. Monsanto – Environment – Utne Reader.
Thanks to Charles Councill for this story.
Thanks to Charles Councill for this story.
August 13, 2011 Update from OSGATA
Farmers Defend Right to Protect Themselves From Monsanto Patents
Organizations File Amici to Defend Plaintiffs’ Right to Trial and Respond to Monsanto’s Attempt to Dismiss Case
New York – August 11, 2011 – The 83 family farmers, small and family owned seed businesses, and agricultural organizations challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seed filed papers in federal court today defending their right to seek legal protection from the threat of being sued by Monsanto for patent infringement should they ever become contaminated by Monsanto’s genetically modified seed. The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) represents the plaintiffs in the suit, titled Organic Seed Growers & Trade Association(OSGATA), et al. v. Monsanto and pending in the Southern District of New York. Today’s filings respond to a motion filed by Monsanto in mid-July to have the case dismissed. In support of the plantiffs’ right to bring the case, 12 agricultural organizations also filed a friend-of-the-court amici brief.
“Rather than give a straight forward answer on whether they would sue our clients for patent infringement if they are ever contaminated by Monsanto’s transgenic seed, Monsanto has instead chosen to try to deny our clients the right to receive legal protection from the courts,” said Dan Ravicher, PUBPAT’s Executive Director. “Today’s filings include sworn statements by several of the plaintiffs themselves explaining to the court how the risk of contamination by transgenic seed is real and why they cannot trust Monsanto to not use an occurrence of contamination as a basis to accuse them of patent infringement.”
It is now virtually impossible for a U.S. farmer to grow crops of their choosing (corn, soybeans, canola, etc.) and remain GMO-free because of the numerous biological and human means by which seeds can spread. “Given the difficulties in minimizing GM contamination farmers must make numerous decisions about which steps are worthwhile for them and which steps are not. They are not able to make these decisions based on their own and their customers‘ interests, but must instead make these decisions with the threat of litigation from a giant corporation looming over their head,” Spiegel writes in the amici brief. “The constant threat of a patent infringement suit by Monsanto creates significant, unquantifiable costs for Plaintiff farmers and similarly situated farmers.” The plaintiffs can do everything possible to maintain non-contaminated seeds, and will very likely still become contaminated, and be placed under the threat of a lawsuit. As Monsanto’s domination of the seed industry grows, and the winds continue to disperse pollen from their GMO laced crops, the likelihood of contamination and lawsuits only increases.
Monsanto has stated that they would not sue farmers who were “inadvertently” contaminated or farmers whose crops contain “trace amounts” of GMO, however they have refused to sign a simple covenant not to sue, that would bring an effective end to the lawsuit.
Monsanto’s track record makes it clear that Monsanto intends to continue threatening and harassing farmers. “Monsanto has undertaken one of the most aggressive patent assertion campaigns in history,” wrote Ravicher. Monsanto admits to filing 128 lawsuits against farmers from 1997-2010, settling out of court with 700 others for an undisclosed amount. As Spiegel writes, “The passage of time and natural biological processes will inevitably lead to higher contamination levels, at which point Monsanto will have created a target-rich environment for its patent enforcement activities.”
Plaintiffs Bryce Stephens, who farms in Kansas and serves as vice president of OSGATA, Frederick Kirschenmann, who farms in North Dakota, C.R. Lawn, who is founder and co-owner of Fedco Seeds in Maine, Don Patterson of Virginia and Chuck Noble, who farms in South Dakota, each submitted declarations to the court describing their personal experiences with the risk of contamination by genetically modified seed and why those experiences have forced them to bring the current suit. As summarized by the accompanying brief filed by PUBPAT on the plaintiffs’ behalf, “Monsanto’s acts of widespread patent assertion and the plaintiffs’ ever growing risk of contamination create a real, immediate and substantial dispute between them.”
In their brief, the amici describe some of the harmful effects of genetically modified seed and how easily GMOs can contaminate an organic or conventional farmer’s land. The organizations filing the amici brief were Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Ecological Farmers of Ontario, Fair Food Matters, International Organic Inspectors Association, Michigan Land Trustees, Natural Environment Ecological Management, Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Association, Organic Council of Ontario, Slow Food USA, and Virginia Independent Consumers and Farmers Association.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Peligroso at Todos Party in Ensenada to Celebrate the Local Community and Say 'Thank You'
PHOTOS (click to enlarge)
PRESS RELEASE
The Peligroso at Todos party in San Miguel / Ensenada was to engage the local community of Ensenada and to thanks for having an event on their turf.
In order to grow the local big wave culture, The Peligroso at Todos in partnership with Surfblanks America, Linden Surfboards, Graphite Master, Orosco Glassing, Futures Fins & Stay Covered Surf accessories donated 9'8 Big wave guns complete with Future Quad fins, Big Wave Leash and board bag (needed for the bat ride to the island).
The happy local recipients are:
Nara Nunez
Juan Valdivia
Miguel Arroio
Vicente Yazbek
Jose Zepeda
We hope to see one of the surfers soon dominate at Todos Santos and Nara is aiming to be the 1st Mexican girl to ever paddle big Todos (she is motivated and training for it).
The locals were stoked of the gesture and really thankful for giving them an hand. For them it's has been difficult to go to Todos, they have to pay for the boat ride, and then they rarely have the proper boards (riding small broken boards, in between all of them their biggest board was a 8'0!!!) - now they don't have any excuse! They are supa motivated to train and get on it. They asked Greg and Rusty long to give them a bunch on advises on how to tackle bigger Todos.
It was really special to see their smile and excited eyes when they got the boards and thanked Gary!
Even before crowning the first ever BWWT Champion our primary goal was being activated. That being the growing of the big wave culture worldwide. Essential ingredients for this growth are consistent big waves and the boards to ride them. Ensenada Mexico has the waves, Todos Santos breaks on every Northwest swell to some degree, but until recently very few of the local surfers could be seen out at the Island on a given day. Sure there is the 10 mile boat trip but what were they going to ride once there? Surfboards for riding big waves are a special entity that defy the inclination of modern surfboards designed to generate speed. It is a special situation where experience trumps theory. To catch a big wave the board has to have some volume and the ability to provide a smooth landing,handling the immense power that it is attempting to be harnessed. With the right board big wave surfing becomes a whole lot less intimidating and the possibility to succeed.
To this end a core group of sponsors are coming together to provide the boards that the Ensenada surfers need to pursue the big wave dream. Surfblanks America which is located in Ensenada will provide the blanks and computer cuts of 5 Gary Linden designed big wave guns,Future Fins steps in with the best fins available in the surfing world and making sure the boards stay attached in those extreme conditions, hand tied leashes and board bags will be provided from Stay Covered accessories. Graphite Master provided the material for glassing while Ensenada's Orosco Glassing finished the boards.
We have seen these needs everywhere the Tour has gone through the years and wait with eager anticipation for the emergence of the Baja big wave crew sharing the culture and growing the sport The Peligroso at Todos Santos taking a big shot!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
MACA MANIA
http://www.bee-pollen-buzz.com/maca-mania.html
This article gives some of the author's clinical experience using this Peruvian plant as well as his own personal experience using the supplement.
He also gives some excellent tips on what to look for in choosing a supplement.
And just to let you know, in sourcing the Maca we blend with our honey, we follow a very similar standard!
From a strictly nutritional point of view, the contents of this plant, at worst, would supply individuals with much more than the bare minimum daily requirements of numerous vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids.
About a year ago, numerous patients were visiting my office singing the praises of a miraculous herbal remedy known as “maca.” I’ve learned a great deal from patients over the years and decided to pay attention to the growing number of reports praising this increasingly popular plant. Until that time, I had only heard of it as an obscure tonic.
Was this just another fast-fading fad? The major benefit reported by these people was energy enhancement but several women were also making claims of relief from menopausal hot flashes, insomnia and depression. Men too were boasting of better sexual performance and just about everyone was raving about being able to deal with stress better since they began taking maca supplements.
What really drew my attention to this plant was the story of one of my patients, a 49-year-old woman who had been on hormone replacement (HRT) for over five years. She had heard of the studies that linked breast cancer, stroke and heart disease with the use of HRT and wanted to stop using the estrogen and progesterone combination immediately.
She tried soy products, black cohosh, ginseng, evening primrose oil, progesterone cream and numerous other natural remedies to relieve her hot flashes and insomnia but nothing was totally effective until she tried maca. She was able to stop the HRT and get complete menopausal symptom relief with maca in a matter of days. She initially thought that the effects were just placebo but going on and off the supplement proved that the effects of were very real. Incidentally, she was also able to go off her antidepressants because her depression and sleep had improved so dramatically.
Scientific studies of maca use in humans are few and far between as most of the research to date has been conducted with animals. Although several double-blind placebo controlled studies are currently underway, human data is still mostly anecdotal and open to debate. What is proven about maca is that it is very safe to use in virtually any amount. In fact, native Peruvians have been feasting on it for centuries.
On an anecdotal note, I recently made it to the finals of a provincial senior tennis tournament event. (Not bad for someone who only plays twice a week!) One day I played two matches, each over two hours long and I credit my energy, performance and endurance to taking maca in high doses before each match.
What is maca and why is it suddenly so popular in North America?
Maca is a unique perennial that grows at altitudes of 14,500 feet in the Andean mountains of Peru. It has one of the highest frost tolerances of any cultivated plant and grows where no other plant can survive. One would expect such a hardy plant to have therapeutic properties and it certainly doesn't disappoint.
Maca is rich in numerous medicinal compounds including alkaloids, amino acids, beta-ecdysone, calcium, carbohydrates, iron, magnesium, p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, phosphorus, potassium, protein, saponins, sitosterol, stigmasterol, tannins, vitamins B1, B2, B12, C, E and zinc.
From a strictly nutritional point of view, the contents of this plant, at worst, would supply individuals with much more than the bare minimum daily requirements of numerous vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids. The following beneficial effects of maca have been reported for both men and women:
• aphrodisiac effects
• enhanced libido, improved potency and relief from erectile dysfunction
• increased energy and well-being
• increased stamina and endurance
• relieved depression
• reduced stress
• relieved hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms
• balanced adrenal and gonadal hormones
• relieved PMS
• increased DHEA levels
• increased seminal volume, sperm count, mobility and formation of sperm
• better athletic performance
• increased testosterone levels
• enhanced fertility
I recommend buying maca from reputable companies that have knowledge and expertise with the plant. Here are some points to consider when shopping for maca:
• Look for brands that use only pure, authentic maca, traditionally grown in the high Andean mountains of Peru.
• Only buy pure maca root, Beware of companies that combine maca root powder with rice flour, maltodextrin or other fillers.
• Look for maca that is grown organically and processed following organic standards. Certified organic maca is best.
• Because Peru is a third world country, look for companies that employ fair trade practices with local farmers and that support traditional farming and sustainable harvesting to ensure the long term health of maca and its environment.
Typical dosage for most adults is 1,500 mg of gelatinized maca twice daily in capsule or powder form. However, one can safely take six or more times this amount for enhanced athletic performance amongst other active lifestyle purposes. If you are in your 40s, 50s, 60s or beyond, maca is a supplement well worth trying.
BENEFITS OF MACA ROOT BY ED CLEMENTS
The Benefits of Maca Root - Part One
http://www.muscle-health-fitness.com/benefits-of-maca-root.html
Maca root is an adaptogenic herb, from South America. Some benefits of maca root are that it's reputed to boost energy levels, improve stamina, promote a clear mental focus and restore optimum hormone balance.After examining the available research on the benefits of maca root, reading hundreds of positive testimonials written about it, and finally trying it myself, I feel that maca root is a super-food that could massively help bodybuilders, sportsmen and pretty well anyone!
In the first part of this article, I go into detail about the benefits of maca root for bodybuilders, athletes and active people:
-Maca is a powerful aphrodisiac that will likely improve your sex drive and performance;
-Maca improves glucose tolerance, which should aid both fat loss and muscle gain, not to mention reducing your risk of developing diabetes;
-If you have arthritis or joint pains maca could ease your symptoms;
-Maca could improve your workout performance, and possibly increase stamina and strength levels;
-Maca raises your Testosterone levels by controlling excess Estrogen;
-Maca ramps up metabolism making fat loss easier and faster;
-Maca eliminates hormonal problems in women and leads to higher fertility rates.
Maca root - nature's answer to Viagra?Before getting onto some slightly less well known benefits of maca root, let’s discuss its main claim to fame – maca root is a potent aphrodisiac for men and women!
There are stacks of anecdotal reports on the internet of men and women who’ve felt the benefits of maca root as their levels of sexual desire soar.
Men are experiencing stronger and more frequent erections and performing better with maca root. Virtually everyone who takes it experiences these beneifts of maca root to some degree, and even men over the age of seventy, who had lost their sexual appetites, have been able to jump back onto the band wagon again thanks to maca!(1)
There's been quite a lot of research performed on maca root to test it’s aphrodisiac qualities, and it seems that most of the extravagant claims made about the benefits of maca root have been validated.
Recent studies have found that ‘both acute and chronic maca oral administration significantly improves sexual performance parameters in male rats’(2), and that maca ‘improved sexual performance parameters in sexually inexperienced male rats’(3). One study showed nearly a 100 % increase in sexual frequency in male and female rats and a 180 percent increase in semen production in males!(4)
OK, you’re probably thinking, ‘I don’t really care about a load of horny rats…’ Fair enough, the results of animal studies don’t always mean anything in human terms… but the benefits of maca root have been validated in recent human studies:
In a four month, controlled study performed on adult men aged between 24 and 44, ‘treatment with Maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count per ejaculum, motile sperm count, and sperm motility.’(5) Other studies have shown benefits of maca root to be significantly increased levels of sexual desire in both men and women.(6)
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want a higher sex drive, and given sex drive is considered by many as the most accurate measure of health and predicted life span, if maca root can work so well at improving sexual desire, and can even cause physical changes such as a higher sperm count, then I think we should be enjoying the benefits of maca root!
There are plenty of other powerful herbal aphrodisiac's out there, some of which, like maca, have performed very well in human trials.
You do not necessarily have to choose between taking maca or another product. Taking a herbal blend containing maca could give you the benefits of maca root as well as slightly different aphrodisiac effects from other herbs.
If taken with other powerful stimulants there’s a chance maca could cause over stimulation at a normal dose. If this happens it’s no big deal, simply reduce the dose or take a couple of days break from maca and then resume...
Garry P. Gordon, MD, former president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, claims maca is "nature's answer to Viagra". There haven’t been any direct comparisons done between the benefits of maca root and Viagra but, if maca is nearly as effective as Viagra, it should be your number one choice as maca doesn’t cause the side effects Viagra does.
Benefits of Maca root for Diabetics?
Maca root isn’t generally reputed as being a herb that can help to control diabetes, but a 2007 study found that 2 weeks of maca supplementation to subjects fed a high sucrose diet ‘significantly improved glucose tolerance, and lowered levels of glucose in blood.'(6)
Diabetics and those in a pre-diabetic, insulin resistant state have impaired glucose tolerance – maca root was able to greatly improve this condition even when eaten as part of a terrible diet similar to the typical modern diet!
These results should raise a lot of eyebrows within the Sporting and Bodybuilding worlds as improved glucose tolerance is the aim of pretty well every successful diet program out there!
While having improved glucose tolerance will benefit you in virtually every area of your life, the main reason better glucose tolerance will greatly benefit sportsmen and bodybuilders is through its link to improved insulin sensitivity.
Let’s look at why (most of the time) we want to improve our insulin sensitivity:
1) Less fat and more muscle:
With glucose rising less dramatically after meals less insulin is required to store the energy consumed. Despite insulin being an anabolic hormone, most of us need to control it because, if it’s spiked too often, you will likely end up with chronically high insulin levels. This situation, which many people in the western world are in, maximises the risk of fat gain and increases your chances of getting all of the modern chronic diseases such as heart disease, liver disease, hypercholesterolemia etc.
To gain improved glucose tolerance is the reason people choose to follow low G.I. or low carb diets, limit carbs to post workout, take supplements such as chromium, lipoic acid etc. – if this study can be replicated, and benefits of maca root are significantly improved glucose tolerance levels, then it should be part of every active person’s supplement arsenal.
2) Easier dieting because of decreased hunger and cravings:
Improved glucose tolerance means more stable blood glucose levels, and stable blood glucose levels means less feelings of hypoglycaemia, less intense hunger pangs and the ability to go for longer without eating – naturally this will benefit anyone who is dieting.
Similarly, a stable blood sugar level tends to lead to better emotional stability. Without large peaks and troughs in blood sugar you will be able to make better food choices and will hopefully find it easier to control the urge to binge on junk food.
Also, in the long term, avoidance of great spikes in insulin will mean nutrients involved in insulin action, such as magnesium, are spared, leading to better micronutrient status. Unfulfilled nutritional needs is another reason why you might feel the urge to binge. EG. Magnesium deficiency is probably the main reason people experience such intense cravings for chocolate.
3) Marked improvements in important health parameters:
It’s worth pointing out that this particular study also found ‘Maca significantly decreased the levels of VLDL (very low density lipoproteins), LDL (low density lipoproteins), and total cholesterol, and also the level of TAG (triacylglycerols) in the plasma, VLDL, and liver.’(7)
This means that maca is quite significantly improving a number of important human health markers – while it’s slowly gaining popularity at the moment, these results suggest it’s worthy of almost cult food status!
An interesting question that arises from these results is whether maca’s beneficial effects on glucose tolerance are causing the improvements in the other parameters, whether all improvements are independent of one another, or whether the improved glucose tolerance is a result of another variable changing i.e. is improved liver health meaning glucose is being utilised more effectively?
It’s clear that more studies are needed to address these questions.
Also, an incredibly important question is whether the benefits of maca root on these health parameters will continue if you stop taking maca, or is maca just correcting health problems in a very quick time span?
Many people take maca at around 3 teaspoons per day for a few months to resolve their health problems and then feel they only need to take it occasionally to feel the benefits of maca root – this suggests to me maca is capable of making long lasting improvements.
Maca root for arthritis:
Maca is a traditional Peruvian remedy for arthritis and joint problems. This is one potential benefits of maca root supplementation that has hardly received any attention from modern researchers at all, but, if true, then maca could help a whole lot of sportsmen and bodybuilders out there.
To date, there has only been one study performed on maca to examine this claim, this being done in test tubes on human cartilage - findings were that benefits of maca root were increased NO (nitric oxide) levels in the cartilage. (NO is thought to naturally increase circulation and to decrease inflammation.)
I don’t normally pay much attention to studies performed in test tubes as there’s no guarantee at all that the results will translate to real life. However, when you hear of the benefits of maca root as a traditional remedy for arthritis, and it shows positive results in this study, I think it might be worth trying if you’re not having success in controlling your symptoms.
I wouldn’t buy maca solely for this purpose, as there are other great natural supplements out there helpful for arthritis (see krill oil benefits), but given the other benefits of maca root I’d get it anyway and see if the arthritis improves as well!
Maca root could improve your workouts!
Increased stamina:
Many users report increases in stamina after taking maca root for only a few days. These increases in stamina may be a product of the more stable blood sugar levels maca produces coupled with the strengthening effect it has on the adrenals. Having stable blood sugar levels and healthy adrenal function means that more energy will be available for exercise when you otherwise would be getting low.
Obviously, increased levels of stamina are going to help endurance athletes such as runners and cyclists. Slightly less obviously though, better stamina levels are going to help you in your fat burning efforts by helping you to keep going at whatever cardio routine you’re doing for longer, or by making the cardio seem easier, allowing you to do it at a quicker pace – therefore you burn more calories and lose more weight.
Increased stamina is going to make your annoying, unavoidable daytime chores less of an effort and leave you with more energy to hit the gym in the evening (or whenever). Maca might give you the extra lift you need to do a great workout.
Improved strength:
Maca was used by troops in the Tahuantinsuyo Empire before battle as a strength aid! I’m not suggesting that maca will allow you to suddenly lift 20 kg more on the bench, but taking it before a workout could help you in a number of ways:
-Carbohydrate taken immediately before exercise is believed by many to improve workout performance by supplying the muscles with the glycogen they need for high intensity exercise such as weight lifting. In addition to carbohydrate, maca root contains easily digestible high quality protein, small amounts of essential fats, and minerals such as zinc, calcium and magnesium, all of which have been shown to improve performance and reduce recovery time when taken before, during and/or after a workout.
-Benefits of maca root are improved mental clarity or focus. We all know that you need to be fully switched on when you attempt a PB in the gym – if you fail once you’re done for the day.
-So much of sport or weight training comes down to CNS (Central Nervous System) training. Maca is a tonic for the adrenals that, theoretically, would allow your CNS to recover more quickly from stress therefore allowing you to attempt heavy lifts more regularly without experiencing burnout. A lot of weightlifters are having to give up taking on challenging cycles because of weakened adrenals… you could avoid this horrible scenario by taking maca root.
Benefits of maca root are a more positive mental outlook:
Maca users often report a much more positive mental outlook after only a few days of use, which isn’t that surprising given it is recommended by South American doctors for treating depression. Positive people tend to exercise more often than negative or depressive people, so maca could help you lose weight and gain muscle simply by increasing your motivation to exercise!
Maca root to manage estrogen:
Maca naturally contains DIM (Diindolylmethane), an indole phytochemical that can be isolated from compounds found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage. DIM has been found in animal and human studies to greatly improve hormone balance in both men and women, as well as to protect against some forms of cancer.(8)
DIM works by stimulating a more efficient estrogen metabolism:
It appears that DIM can support specific enzymes that work to increase the levels of good estrogen metabolites and decrease the levels of bad estrogen metabolites in the body. This means that estrogen isn’t eliminated, a good thing since estrogen plays an important role in muscle building and is crucial to general health, but is channelled down a more healthy metabolic pathway.
This leads to greater free Testosterone levels!
By limiting the bad estrogen metabolites made from estradiol you increase your level of free testosterone, critical to muscle building, energy levels, sex drive and general health. At the same time DIM limits the production of DHT, a metabolite of testosterone that has been repeatedly linked to increased prostate cancer risk.
By effectively managing estrogen you can expect to immediately look more ‘cut’, due to less water retention, and can expect all the physiological and psycological benefits of higher free testosterone levels. In the long term, you will be less at risk of contracting estrogen related health problems such as many different types of cancer, and you will carry less body fat and have more muscle mass!
Studies show that DIM becomes much more easily absorbed when cruciferous vegetables are processed and/or crushed – this may explain why cooked maca powder increased rodent body weights in trials significantly whereas raw maca root did not.
Given that the maca you can buy is gelatinised or at least processed and powered, it is reasonable to assume that it will be a more bio available source of DIM than standard western cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli. Also given that a whole lot of people don’t like broccoli, maca offers an alternative, concentrated source of DIM for athletes and bodybuilders.
I've taken a DIM supplement daily for a while now to support a favourable hormone balance. Loads of studies show that DIM offers great protection from unavoidable dietary and environmental estrogens, so it’s not really surprising that maca improves a lot of peoples’ hormone related problems.
Side note: There are other theories as to how maca reverses estrogen dominance. For example some scientists believe that the sterols in maca directly convert to Testosterone and Progesterone, and that these two hormones limit harmful Estrogens…
[I discuss these other theories in Benefits of Maca Root – Part 2]
How to see if maca root is increasing metabolism:
Basal body temperature test:
-Whilst waiting the couple of days for your maca to arrive, test your temperature using an oral thermometer before getting out of bed in the morning (or eating or drinking anything!). Then work out an average temperature for these three days.
-After a week of taking maca root, take your temperature reading for another three days and see if your average basal body temperature has gone up at all.
-A month after beginning supplementing with maca root repeat this temperature challenge again and note any change to basal body temperature.
As far as possible, try to keep other variables constant:
For example, don’t test your temperature a month after starting maca, see a huge increase in basal body temperature, think it was maca but later realise you had also been taking a yohimbe or guggulsterones supplement at the same time – what caused the increase, maca or either of these other two thermogenic supplements?
Bear in mind that, valuable as it is, this test has its limitations. Even a really rough night's sleep can cause you to wake up with a slightly lower basal body temperature. However, if you track your morning temperature regularly you should see a fair trend and therefore will be able to judge if maca root is working for you in this regard.
Side bar: If you have a consistently low body temperature it is generally an indication of adrenal or thyroid problems. I tackle these issues in a number of articles on this website. Please skim through these as thyroid and adrenal problems can be resolved quickly once you have access to the right information… You’ll feel 100 percent better when you do!
Benefits of Maca root are increased fertility:
Alright, we’ve looked at a few of the main reasons why us muscle-worshipping guys would want to add maca to our diets, but we haven’t explicitly talked about how maca root can help with girls’ hormonal issues.
Maca is recommended to women as being a fertility herb. In fact, this was the main quality attributed to maca root by the Incas, before the Spaniards arrived, and is the reason why it was considered magical and used in sacred rites by them and their descendants.
The sheer volume of anecdotal reports about the benefits of maca root for fertility problems is astounding. It appears maca relieves PMS symptoms such as headaches and depression in as little as a few days and makes menopause a stroll in the park for most women. Therefore it’s not surprising that womens’ fertility rates improve considerably through using maca.
There are a number of rodent studies showing benefits of maca root are greatly improved fertility, and human studies only reinforce these results. To quote the results of one study done on women in 2008:
‘maca reduces psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression, and lowers measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women independent of estrogenic and androgenic activity.’(11)
Maca is worth a try if you ever suffer hormonal problems. Many women feel the benefits of maca root after taking as little as one quarter teaspoon of maca per day.
Safety concerns with maca?
It’s worth pointing out that eating very large quantities of maca root could, in theory, cause thyroid problems. Maca contains glucosinolates, like other edible plants in the mustard family, which taken in excess along with a low-iodine diet, can lead to the development of a thyroid condition called goiter (where the thyroid gland enlarges and thyroid hormone production decreases).
But, there have been no reported cases of goiter from eating large amounts of maca. Maybe processing eliminates this risk, or maybe the high concentrations of iodine in maca counteracts the risk – either way I wouldn’t worry about this given that maca has been eaten as a staple in Peruvian cuisine for thousands of years with only benefits of maca root being reported.
Final thoughts:
OK, we’ve talked about the benefits of maca root for you, and I’m sure you’ll agree the benefits of maca root look fairly impressive. However, we haven’t really gone into depth about what’s in maca that is helping so many people.
Whilst studies show benefits of maca root are improved sex drive, fertility rates etc., they don’t seem to shed much light as to how maca’s working. In fact, many studies seem to indicate that, despite improving hormonal issues, maca doesn’t actually change hormone levels at all!
In the second part of this article I look at what’s going on here – can maca improve hormone levels or not?
If you want to experience maca’s effects then stop here, take it and enjoy; if you're interested in how maca might be working to improve so many different health markers read part two!
References and Footnotes:
1) http://www.macasex.com/science.html
2) Hexanic Maca extract improves rat sexual performance more effectively than methanolic and chloroformic Maca extracts. Andrologia. 2002 Jun;34:177-9
3) Maca root improves sexual behavior in male rats independently from its action on spontaneous locomotor activity. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 May;75(2-3):225-9
4) http://www.macasex.com/science.html
5) Lepidium meyenii ( Maca root ) improved semen parameters in adult men. Asian J Androl. 2001 Dec;3(4):301-3
6) The influence of maca (Lepidium meyenii) on antioxidant status, lipid and glucose metabolism in rat. 2007 Jun;62(2):59-63.
7) The influence of maca (Lepidium meyenii) on antioxidant status, lipid and glucose metabolism in rat. 2007 Jun;62(2):59-63.
8)http://www.dimfaq.com/site/prostatehealth.htm
9) Hypo-thyroidism – the unsuspected illness, by Broda Barnes, 1976. Fitzhenry and Whiteside Ltd, Toronto.
10) http://proteinfactory.com/articles/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1 &id=39
11)Beneficial effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on psychological symptoms and measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women are not related to estrogen or androgen content. Menopause. 2008 Sep 6.
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