maca powder

In the market it’s know by various brands names (such as macabido™) and in botanical journals it is known as Lepidium meyenii. This only shows that the maca root has interested both scientists and everyday consumers alike due to its various health benefits. The following is a brief outline of the history of maca and how it has come to us.

The Beginning Maca Root

To start off, this plant is indigenous to the Andes of Central Peru where it is grown at extreme heights of about 14,000 feet above sea level. It is a part of the staple diet of the region, and is also an important facet of Peru’s history and culture.

While an exact time of its first use cannot be determined, it is generally agreed that warrior tribes started cultivating this plant a century before Christ. When the Yaro tribe came to Peru, they increased the growth of this plant tenfold.

When the Inca Empire took over this region, the consumption of maca was restricted to the elite. This is an early testimony to the nutritional qualities of this herb. Not only were they well aware of qualities like it being a cure for low libido, but the Inca warriors consumed maca to boost their strength and stamina before battle.

Along with its health qualities, maca also assumed an important role in the economy of ancient Peru. This is because during the rule of the Spanish, local farmers offered maca as taxes to the rulers, which were sent back to Spain as tributes. Although the conquistadors had nothing to do with anything that related to the “pagan” culture of South America, the economical and nutritional value of maca was recognized so much so that it once again became the property of the elite.

Fighting Extinction Maca Root

However, once the Spanish colonial era came to a close, the cultivation of maca dropped drastically, almost to the point of extinction. In fact, before the second half of the 20th century, the world at large knew almost nothing about this amazing plant.

In 1961, the 21-year-old Gloria Chacon de Popovici based her bachelor thesis on maca while pursuing a degree in biological sciences at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. She ultimately received her doctorate in 1972 and during this time she also authored a book on the maca herb.

Other researches and explorations were conducted by American and German scientists who went to South America and accidentally came across maca. At this point in time, maca was being grown a few acres for self-consumption.

But even after these discoveries, maca remained a plant in danger of extinction for almost two decades until 1992, when its awareness reached a wider audience. The 25-70 acre plantations were subsequently expanded and growth of maca once again reached voluminous quantities.

Resurgence Maca Root

Since the last decade, maca has stirred a lot of interest on the internet due to its aphrodisiac qualities. In a society where products like Viagra and testosterone pills are freely available for men facing sexual dysfunction, maca manufacturers claim that it can even serve as a libido enhancer for women who come across a waning interest in sexual activity over time.

Currently, maca is available without subscription in various forms. You can easily find various brands on the internet that are promoting maca as a libido enhancer for women and as a strength booster for athletes.

Image source by en.wikipedia.org
About the author: Carl Schneider wrote this article about the history of Maca Root to educate people about it’s health benefits and use for low libido and sexual dysfunction.