The climate atop the Peruvian Andes is a harsh one, few plants, and few people, can survive the environment. However, there is one vigorous plant, Lepidium meyenii, more popularly known as Peruvian ginseng or maca, that thrives at the 4000-meter altitude. Its vitality in this remote region may explain why maca root’s use in Peru as an aphrodisiac and fertility enhancer extends hundreds, if not thousands, of years back into Peru’s history.
Despite the long-standing position in Peruvian society, it wasn’t until the last twenty years that interest in maca root’s powerful aphrodisiac qualities spread across the rest of the globe. Now, maca root is an ingredient found in many male enhancement products.
Many Men are Unhappy With Their Erectile Response
Erectile problems affect many men in the United States. Age, andropause, fitness, medications, and stress all contribute to the problem. Although there are plenty of pharmaceutical drugs that claim to provide a solution, they also provide nasty side effects. Many men who are unhappy with their sexual function instead look to more safe alternative medicine techniques to support their body in performing its own natural abilities. Acupuncture is often an appropriate therapy, some men have reported success with reflexology. Herbal support products are one of the most popular therapies.
Does Maca Support Erectile Response?
Now, before investing in a male enhancement product, it’s important to do your own research and be an informed consumer. Unfortunately, the marketplace is filled with sugar-pill salesman out to make a quick buck. In fact, according to Thorne Research, an organization based out of Idaho, while most “male enhancement” products have not undergone the investigation necessary to support efficacy claims, maca may be one herb that actually does support a healthy erectile response.
Other research has shown that maca has favorable effects on mood, and that can translate to an improved erectile response. A double-blind, clinical trial that included 50 Italian men with poor erectile response found maca supplementation to significantly improve their overall and sexual well-being.
The satisfaction among those who use maca may have two parts. Not only does maca help get the train moving, it helps it arrive at the station. When researchers at the Division of Urology at the University of North Carolina conducted a study in which male rats were given maca for thirty days, they reported observing significant and lasting ejaculation improvement.
