Yellow Maca

Description

Lepidium meyenii, also known as Maca or Peruvian ginseng, is an edible herby plant native to the Andes mountains of Peru. According to the legends, the Spaniards noticed that the reproductive rate of their domestic animals and man himself had a higher reproductive rate in the Andean highlands than in Spain. It is said that the Peruvian natives recommended feeding maca to the animals and that the Spaniards noticed the positive effect of this food. Maca root is used as a traditional medicine with reported benefits of supporting emotional aspects of sexual health, supporting healthy mood balance during menopause and acting as a source of anti-oxidants. Maca is cultivated as three main variants separated according to the colour of their roots, namely yellow, purple (red) and black. The colours of these roots are mainly determined by the intensity of anthocyanin, a plant pigment with anti-oxidant properties. Yellow Maca is the most common form of maca and is most abundantly propagated and consumed.