A:  Dear Angela,

There is no simple, straightforward answer to this. First of all, most maca on the market is weak and you have to take one tsp. to one tablespoon—or more—for it to have any effect. Royal Maca is very different. It is concentrated, certified organic, sundried and gelatinized—a form of cooking that eliminates the enzymes that inhibit digestion and assimilation. (Native people of Peru NEVER eat raw maca.) When dosing Royal Maca it’s always important to start with a very small amount – to see how your body responds. If you are petite (115 lbs. Or less) or if you know that you are very sensitive, you can start with 1/12 of a tsp. (half a capsule). If you don’t have these issues, you can start with 1/3 tsp. or two capsules daily. You will probably notice the effects within one to three days. If you feel a little more energy but would like to feel more, you can increase the dosage to one-half tsp. daily (3 capsules). Some people even do well with a whole tsp. of Royal Maca (6 caps a day).

This is a question that comes up frequently. And there is no one single answer.
A:  When a man takes Royal Maca, it increases his libido and supports his erectile function. This does not indicate a higher estrogen level – quite the opposite!

In a young woman with irregular periods, it can increase both estrogen and progesterone levels, resulting in a regular period!

In a perimenopausal woman with very painful, flooding periods, it can reduce the amount of cramping and the quantity of her menstrual blood, which would indicate a higher progesterone level—not a higher estrogen level.

A woman in full-blown menopause with mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats is experiencing a very depleted estrogen level. Within 5 days of starting to take Royal Maca she will already feel tremendous relief – if she is not combining her Royal Maca with any form of supplemental estrogen! To do this, would actually make her symptoms worse. To read more about how Royal Maca works and why Royal Maca is different and far more effective than other brands of maca, go to the following links: the blog on HGH, the description of what makes royal maca different, and the maca section of the herbal library.

A:  Many pimples are related to hormone imbalances. That is why they are common in the teenaged years in both boys and girls. Many women also get pimples a day or two before her menstrual period. Certified organic, gelatinized (cooked) Royal Maca can be very helpful for clearing up these facial blemishes by improving hormone balance. According to studies, maca root acts to increase IGF (insulin growth factor) in human tissue. Sufficient IGF is critical for hormone balance.

About Royal Maca™

Our Royal Maca™ products

A:  You may have noticed that some Camu-Camu is dark and slowly dried without any additives and while other Camu-Camu is light colored and has been spray dried at a high temperature for a few seconds onto a maltodextrine medium.

Which product is better? If you are going for a high natural Vitamin C content derived from the Camu-Camu fruit itself, you will choose Light Camu-Camu with the maltodextrine. WHY?

Because maltodextrine helps stabilize the Natural Vitamin C Complex from the Camu-Camu fruit. You can test products made in this way a year later and it will have lost only a very small amount of Vitamin C – perhaps 10%.

If you test your Dark Camu-Camu product without any additives a year after manufacture, it will have lost close to 70% of its Natural Vitamin C content.

In the end, it’s the customer’s decision. Whole World Botanicals offers both types of products with no added synthetic ascorbic acid—only the natural Vitamin C from the fruit.

There is no simple, straightforward answer to this. First of all, most maca on the market is weak and you have to take one tsp. to one tablespoon—or more—for it to have any effect. Royal Maca is very different. It is concentrated, certified organic, sundried and gelatinized—a form of cooking that eliminates the enzymes that inhibit digestion and assimilation. (Native people of Peru NEVER eat raw maca.) When dosing Royal Maca it’s always important to start with a very small amount – to see how your body responds. If you are petite (115 lbs. or less) or if you know that you are very sensitive, you can start with 1/12 of a tsp. (half a capsule). If you don’t have these issues, you can start with 1/3 tsp. or two capsules daily. You will probably notice the effects within one to three days. If you feel a little more energy but would like to feel more, you can increase the dosage to one-half tsp. daily (3 capsules). Some people even do well with a whole tsp. of Royal Maca (6 caps a day).

Of course, it is important to get an accurate diagnosis from an excellent health care professional to make sure you are not overlooking a serious condition that is unrelated to your adrenals or that there is no complicating issue with your adrenal glands. If you are truly dealing with burnt out adrenals from chronic low level stress or a high level of stress, then Royal Maca could be very helpful towards the restoration of your energy.

Dear Maggie,

It is true that flax and soy contain a fair amount of phytoestrogens. So do all beans. But flax seeds, soy milk, soyburgers, tempeh, etc. can all be used in the diet while you are taking Royal Maca. It is dietary supplements made from soybeans--pills and capsules in most cases--in which the phytoestrogens have been extracted and concentrated--that must not be taken together with Royal Maca. It is a combination that overstimulates the body and creates increased hot flashes in most women that already have hot flashes. This combo also contributes to insomnia and irritability.

Viana Muller, Ph.D., Cofounder
Whole World Botanicals, Inc.

About Royal Maca™  

Our Royal Maca™ products

Q:  I am 38 yr. old and have a regular menstrual period but a period with a lot of problems for the past year. I have been taking Royal Maca (1/3 tsp.) for 3 months to try to normalize my periods and to help with a heavy flow and clots. My last two cycles have achieved this. I just need to know if I should take a break from Royal Maca after a certain amount of time. And, if so, for how long.

A:  First of all, Isn’t it remarkable that after only two months of taking Royal Maca your periods have “normalized” in your own words! This is a common story and is one of the many virtues of a premium quality, organic, sundried, precooked maca root product. Although we used to advise taking a break of one month after three months—because that’s what the Peruvian doctors were advising their women patients on maca therapy to do—we no longer suggest this. Reason: too many women had trouble getting the same good results again the second time around after abruptly stopping Maca for an entire month.

Q:  I am 50 years old and have a tendency towards high blood pressure if I don't adhere to a strict diet. I have just started taking Royal Maca and within an hour or so my blood pressure spiked and my heart rate was racing and erratic. I'm not sure if it was the maca or because I had just eaten some food with gluten (I'm gluten intolerant)...Can maca have that effect on your heart?

A:  Maca root if taken in excess can raise blood pressure in people with a tendency towards high blood pressure, but it can also help lower or stabilize blood pressure if taken at a very minimal dosage or a period of several months.  In fact, there is one doctor in England who has his high blood pressure patients take one capsule of Royal Maca daily to help stabilize their blood pressure at a healthy level..  It’s best to start with either ½ capsule daily (you can twist the capsule apart and tap out half) or one capsule daily depending on your sensitivity and your weight.  If you do have high blood pressure, it would be important for you to work with your physician on developing a protocol that is right for you.

I am 39 years old and have been taking Royal Maca for the last 10 months because I had developed perimenopausal symptoms at that time. I had irregular periods, horrible PMS and just felt exhausted. (I have been under severe stress for the last three years caring for my father who has cancer.) Taking Royal Maca my periods are regular now and I have a lot more energy and my PMS is much better but I still get it. I recently had a hormone panel test done and it came back that I am low in progesterone and in cortisol. My holistic doctor suggested adding Dr. John Lee’s progesterone cream to what I am already doing. (I also take Royal Camu and cod liver oil and Vitamin D.)

A: There is no problem in combining Royal Maca with a natural progesterone supplement. Most women don’t need to do this – Royal Maca, at the right dosage—usually straightens out a progesterone imbalance nicely. But there are always exceptional cases.

About Royal Maca™
Our Royal Maca™ products

The testimonials keep pouring in. The language of gratitude of women for this product and other Royal Maca products is striking. Here’s one Whole World Botanicals received today from a woman who had been taking Estroven® previously but wanted to stop. – Dr. Viana Muller, Co-founder Whole World Botanicals

Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 2:40 PM Hi
Viana,
I got that email about not taking your product until 4 weeks after Estroven, etc. is out of the system, but I had already started it... either way.... YOUR PRODUCT IS EXTRAORDINARY!!! I had had major hot flashes at night and sometimes during the day which caused anxious feelings and all the things that go along with peri-menopause. (I have not had my period for over 2 months.) The Royal Maca Plus for Women with DIM has almost completely stopped my hot flashes and balanced me out big time in less than a week. I take one capsule three times a day... Hope it's ok that I didn't wait for 4 weeks...

Best, Cara C. (Denver, CO)

Hello,
I am Dr. Viana Muller, a co-founder of Whole World Botanicals and I have a personal testimonial for our Home Page today. I was recently diagnosed with TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder) —and an ulcerated tongue (very, very painful) as a complication.

Of course, I will be seeing a dental specialist about this. But meanwhile, my doctor has prescribed one drug to reduce the pain and inflammation of the TMJ and the ulcerated tongue and another drug to reduce the side effects on the stomach (these pharmaceutical drugs destroy the body’s healthy inflammation response which protects the stomach lining from the hydrochloric acid needed to digest out food and can cause bleeding ulcers which in extreme cases can be fatal). These drugs totaled about $120! And all for pain relief! So, I just said, NO! Instead I decided to try Whole World Botanicals’ Royal Desmodium Liquid Extract. 4 squirts in the cup of tea I was drinking. Within half an hour the tongue pain and the ear-jaw pain was at least 80% better. And no side effects on the stomach! Royal Desmodium is so brilliant at relieving back pain and other muscle pain with its anti-spasmodic properties and so amazing as a fast-acting bronchial dilator that I sometimes forget how helpful it can also be for other types of pain.

We receive glowing testimonials everyday about our products, but here is one that covers two of our best sellers:

I am very pleased with my purchases from your website. The Maca products contribute to a greater sense of well being and I'm convinced that emergency level dosing of Camu Camu helped considerably to mitigate a recent winter cold…

Thank you.

Best regards, Mary

This is a fabulous product. I was diagnosed with gallstones and advised to remove them. I refused. I have not been consistent in taking the Royal Break-Stone Kidney Support Liquid Extract, but whenever I feel a crisis coming on, I take 30 drops and within 3 minutes I have absolutely no pain! It is miraculous. No painkiller has ever done for me what this product has done! Thank you. I am going to take it regularly so that I can rid myself of the stones once and for all.

Bless you all.
Elizabeth

We continue to receive glowing testimonials from our valued customers, here is one on Royal Camu powder & mood swings.

Hi,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was nice and low-key.....and all were healthy this is the main thing.

Re the Camu: I have been taking 1/4 teas. I am feeling GREAT!!! My moods mellowed, but, my system seems to be getting used to it or whatever we want to call it.....the mood swings, irritatable-ish, etc are back.

Can I take another 1/4 teas around lunch or so to help with this?

THANK YOU!!
Your new customer,
Diana

Hello Diana,
This is Viana, one of the owners of Whole World Botanicals. You absolutely correct--if the 1/4 tsp. is no longer doing it for you, it means you need to jump up the dosage, probably to 1/2 tsp. By the way, have you by now already tried that?

Wishing you the best,
Viana Muller, Ph.D.,
Co-founder Whole World Botanicals

Dear Whole World Botanicals,

I am interested in trying Royal Maca as a natural hormone balancing dietary supplement. I noticed the warning statement on your bottle that combining Royal Maca with estrogen (or estrogenic herbs) could cause an increase in hot flashes and other symptoms.

I am a vegetarian who eats soy products a few times per week (not on a daily basis). Since soy is known to be rich in phyto-estrogen properties do you advise against the use of Royal Maca when eating soy or other foods like flax seeds? Any insight you can give on this will be appreciated. – Wendy

Dear Wendy,

For the past few years, I've had warm/hot flashes off and on that have been easily dealt with via Black Cohosh. But about 9 months ago, soon after I completely stopped menstruating, I started having frequent hot flashes, at about one an hour, 24X7. In addition to being woken up every hour or so, I'd have bouts of insomnia that would last for an hour or two. My 'old friend,' Black Cohosh had absolutely no effect on this state of affairs. A Peruvian friend of mine suggested I try Maca, and after significant research, I found your website. I started at 3 caps a day of your Royal Maca, and eventually went up to 7 which has now all but eliminated the hot flashes. The last two nights I've had a complete, restful night's sleep for the first time in 9 months! I'm SO delighted with your product. I cannot thank you enough!

Royal Camu™ - Wildcrafted

Each capsule contains 350mg of Wildcrafted Camu-Camu powder.
Royal Camu contains 10% of natural Vitamin C complex derived from the Camu-Camu fruit.

• Strengthens the immune system*
• Promotes healthy mood balance & energy*
• Supports a healthy blood ecology: a low viral (including herpes) & fungal load*
• Promotes a healthy heart*

Click here to take advantage of this sale.

To read about the phyto-chemical makeup of Camu-Camu Click here

Q: After almost a month of taking 6 capsules of Royal Maca every day I have finally started my period. I am irregular and this is the first period I have had in three months after going off birth control pills. My question is should I continue taking 6 capsules during my cycle and after or go down to three capsules right away?
A: Normally, a young woman with a regular menstrual period would never need more than 2 capsules daily of Royal Maca for her PMS symptoms or for energy and a feeling of well being or to promote healthy thyroid function. However, women who have had their healthy reproductive function interrupted through taking birth control pills, especially for an extended period of time, might have trouble re-establishing a healthy menstrual cycle and 6 capsules a day for a 30 day period might be helpful in restoring menstruation. As soon as the period starts, it’s probably a good idea to cut back to 3 capsules daily, with the goal of eventually returning to 2 capsules daily.

Q: What is the best herb in the world for opening the bronchial tubes in your lungs?
A: Desmodium adscendens.

Q: How does it compare with Ephedra?
A: Ephedra is also good for opening the bronchial tubes but it can increase your pulse rate and raise your blood pressure.

Desmodium adscendens (amor seco, beggar’s lice, strong back herb) plant in flower (Peru).

Q: What is Desmdium adscendens traditionally used for?
A: Asthma, bronchitis, collapsed lungs, allergies, liver detoxification, to relieve back, shoulder, and knee pain, for menstrual cramps, ovarian inflammation and pain…to name a few traditional uses.

Q: Where does it grow?
A: In Peru, Jamaica, Beliz, Ghana, Sierra Leone…to name just a few of the places.

Q: Is there scientific research published on this herb?
A: To read a summary of some of the scientific findings from the research on this
botanical CLICK HERE