I am 52 and have had a great deal of problems with low energy and depression. I am not taking any medications for menopause but have been going through the change for 3+ years. I have some hot flashes but mostly very low energy and depression. A friend that had PMS issues suggested I tried Maca. I went to Whole Foods and bought one called Femmenessence. I noticed a big difference right away in my morning depression and then in a few days my energy was so much better. I recently went in for my yearly check up and I had them run all my hormone levels and several other tests and to my doctor's surprise my hormone levels were dramatically improved. He asked if I was taking something and I said I wasn't except for Maca. I guess that must be a pleasant side effect. I have been reading alot about Maca and there's only a few kinds that really seem to work. Just wanted to pass this on and get feedback from everyone!

YAY to Maca it has really made a difference in my life.

What IS Maca??

I have heard of Maca but until today didn't know what it was. I think I need some of this stuff. So it helped your libido and energy? What about hot flashes? Any help there?

I found this online.


Maca is a plant with a radish-like root that is used as a food and for medicinal purposes.

Although maca is unrelated to the ginseng family, it has been dubbed "Peruvian ginseng" because it is used as a folk remedy to increase stamina, energy, and sexual function.

Why Do People Use Maca?
According to folklore, ancient Incan warriors took maca before going off to battle to make them physically strong. However, they were later prohibited from taking it, in order to protect conquered women from their heightened libidos.

One study looked at the effect of 4 months treatment with maca tablets on semen quality in nine adult men. Treatment with maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count, and sperm motility.

A 12-week randomized controlled trial looked at 1,500 mg maca, 3,000 mg maca, or placebo. After 8 weeks, there was an improvement in sexual desire in the men taking maca.

Maca does not appear to affect hormone levels. Serum testosterone and estradiol levels were not different in men treated with maca compared to those who took the placebo. Other studies have found no effect on luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and 17-alpha hydroxyprogesterone.

Safety
No side effects or hazards have been reported and are unknown.

[I tried Maca and it can help some folks....it does act on the adrenals so does give the boost to that....if you use too much or for two long you can start having the opposite effect...so I do believe they recommend that you give it a break once in a while...every few months or so...but you can look up the info on this...I wished it worked for me! SO glad it worked for you....it DID have a great effect on my hubby....he got frisky waking in the AM if you know what I mean! Joan

Hello ladies,

I tried Maca a few months ago after researching it a bit. I also was wanting something to boost my energy and my lost sex drive. I took it for only a few days and stopped. I started to get nervous about taking so many supplements. I take a lot of vitamins/minerals and a few other herbs and when I didn't notice an instant change I just didn't take the Maca anymore. I do take the Rhodiola Rosasin and that is an herb that is supposed to be very good for the body and it helped with energy, no sex drive jump, but for energy and handling stress it's good.

My energy levels seem to be fluctuating. About two weeks ago I had a period. Wow, day two I was soooo tired. This is normal for me though. I had friends coming over for a meal that evening and it was a struggle to have enough energy to get things ready for them. I did and had a nice evening, although the following day I was so tired. This 'period tiredness' usually lifts after anything from a day to a few days, but this month here I am over two weeks after the beginning of my period and still feel as if I have little energy, concentration levels are minimal etc, everything is an effort. My energy levels haven't recovered like they usually do.

I'm worried.

Does anyone know if we can get this in the UK. Tried Holland and Barrett but they don't stock it.

Anyone got any ideas?

Help.

robin

Robin, I will PM you with details of where Maca can be obtained in the UK, as we can't post commercial links here. I have obtained it from several sources. In fact, I've just started taking it again recently.

Diane, thankyou thankyou thankyou. I'm so bothered by this low energy thing. I'm going to order some from one of the websites and try it. It's so difficult to know what to do and what is working and what isn't. At 47, my periods are regular but are getting shorter in length and I'm thinking this could get worse before it gets better. I could get my energy back tomorrow or it could get worse as I get closer to my periods finishing.

Glad to hear you've had some success with your symptoms.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks once again

robin

Robin, you're welcome. I hope you feel the benefit.

[quote name='colorado5280' date='Jul 11 2008, 03:47 PM' post='231386']
I am 52 and have had a great deal of problems with low energy and depression. I am not taking any medications for menopause but have been going through the change for 3+ years. I have some hot flashes but mostly very low energy and depression. A friend that had PMS issues suggested I tried Maca. I went to Whole Foods and bought one called Femmenessence. I noticed a big difference right away in my morning depression and then in a few days my energy was so much better. I recently went in for my yearly check up and I had them run all my hormone levels and several other tests and to my doctor's surprise my hormone levels were dramatically improved. He asked if I was taking something and I said I wasn't except for Maca. I guess that must be a pleasant side effect. I have been reading alot about Maca and there's only a few kinds that really seem to work. Just wanted to pass this on and get feedback from everyone!

YAY to Maca it has really made a difference in my life.

/quote]


I tried some maca last year and wished I had researched it better before I purchased it. I noticed after I took it that my urine was very concentrated. Maca is supposed to be high in sodium content and can cause b/p problems for some people [interestingly, I did notice some significantly elevated b/p readings during that time which took mos. to subside]. It also comes from S. America [where you don't want to drink the water]. After considering all of that, I decided to stick with a brand that was organic and well studied. When I switched brands, I didn't notice the concentrated urine anymore, but it also didn't seem to help normalize my menses or mood as much as the brand I started with. I think it would be a good first line of things to try, but I would definitely stick with a reputable and organic supply. Also, it's important to remember that it's not going to work right away....you need to give it a few weeks [like with any supplemental product]. Fortunately for me, black cohosh and St. John's Wort seems to be helping and I've had no further b/p problems.

Forgive me, I'm new to this board, so haven't gotten the hang of it yet [plus working nights and am tired!!!]. Anyway, to "Colorado" I just want to add: I must have not fully read your msg....I didn't want to name brands because I didn't know if that was OK on this site, but I think for anyone wanting to try maca, I believe the brand you are taking is a good source. The fact that your hormone levels came back within normal range is what maca is SUPPOSED to do. It's an "adaptogen" which means it is supposed to help your own body to normalize levels. For some reason or another, it just didn't work for me and the brand that DID help my symptomology also seemed to cause the b/p problem which is too bad.

According to some sites, there isn't much research on maca being used for peri/menopause, but there is actually quite a bit of research being done. It seems like I found more info about it when I put "macafem" into the search engine instead of "maca" [which is another BRAND of maca made for women, but is NOT organic....but lead to a lot of useful info about maca being used for hormonal issues]. Anyway, I'm surprised more women haven't heard of this or tried using this product. I would love to hear of other's experiences. Wish it had worked for me! Good luck.

Anyone still taking MACA ?

I'm thinking of giving a-go. I need something for that afternoon slump-a-bump.

I too was researching MACA before I had my visit with my naturopath yesterday. She actually sells a lot of supplements and recently formulated her own multivitamin. Anyway, she precribed MACA to me yesterday and the head pressure seems less intense today. This is the first month I have missed a period but I think it might be late. Anyway, I think if you are at the tail end of peri (okay I have been at this since I was 46 and now 51) MACA may help. It is an adaptogen (peruvian ginseng) that supports your adrenals.

This is only the first day and I do feel a difference, I hope it continues to do wonders for me. THe one I take is an organic MACA root, if anyone is interested please PM me as I don't think I can mention the actual brand.

All the best,
Plumeria