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Five Things That Might Surprise You About Maca

Herbs: Are Capsules or Teas Better?

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Five Things that Might Surprise You About Maca

Maca is a hardy cruciferous vegetable resembling a small turnip when freshly harvested, which is also a powerful hormone-balancing, immune system enhancing adatopgenic herb. Maca is cultivated in an inhospitable region of the Andean Mountains at altitudes from approximately 12,500-14,500 feet. For those of who might not be familiar with Maca and its component nutrients, check out our online library.

Traditionally, native medicine practitioners and herbalists have recommended maca for:

• Treating menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and depression, as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy [HRT]
  
• Stimulating and regulating the endocrine system, including the adrenals, the thyroid, the ovaries, and the testes
  
• Regulating and normalizing menstrual cycles and treating PMS
  
• Stimulating fertility in both men and women
  
• Stimulating the immune system
  
• Increasing energy, stamina and endurance, reducing chronic fatigue
  
• Enhancing libido, treating impotence
  
• Revitalizing seniors, mentally and physically

Many of you have become maca "experts" of a sort, given that you're already using Royal MacaTM, and have put your mothers, daughters, husbands, wives and partners on it, and have sent it to your best friends halfway across the country as gifts. As a matter of fact, most of what I know about maca, I am learning from the information you share, as well as my own experience - I've been using maca for seven years. Over the years, I've spent hundreds of hours listening to you and reading your emails, learning about your incredible successes in using maca for health problems, some of which I had no idea maca could possibly help. A recent example of how I learn from you is a woman who called me a couple of months ago. "Viana," she said, "I just wanted you to know that not only has Royal Maca stopped my PMS but the severe eczema I've had on my face for the last 8 years has cleared up. I've tried everything the doctors could think of and nothing helped." Wow! I was incredibly moved by this sharing and very touched that she wanted me to know so I could let other people who suffer from eczema know that maca MIGHT help them also.

There has been little research done on maca so far, but that is sure to change in the next decade. Meanwhile, I've heard some stories about people -- even holistic doctors -- saying that maca is "overrated." Invariably when I dig a little deeper, one of two things turn up: either the person has bought an inferior kind of maca (see below) or they have made mistakes in the dose they have used -- which is a highly individual matter.

Since there is so much to learn about maca, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some interesting information.

1. Most maca brought into the United States has been irradiated.

Maca has a tendency to hold moisture. It is a potential breeding ground for bacteria and mold. The most cost-effective way to kill bacteria and mold is to irradiate it. But this "denatures" the herb. Whole World Botanicals uses its own proprietary method of slow heating to kill bacteria and mold. Being a Certified Organic product, our Royal MacaTM is never irradiated. (But still, remember not to store your maca in the refrigerator!)

2. Maca may help high blood pressure.

One doctor in England is getting excellent results in lowering the blood pressure of his patients by giving them one capsule a day of Royal MacaTM. In a period of three months he finds a significant reduction in the blood pressure of his patients. At that point, he increases their dosage to two caps a day. The dosage is a critical factor. Too much maca for people with high blood pressure can be stimulating, and potentially push it a little higher. So be mindful of the fact that when it comes to maca, less is better if you have high blood pressure. Also, since maca is an adaptogenic herb, it is not surprising to find some people who have low blood pressure reporting that it helps to raise their blood pressure a little.

3. Maca may significantly or even dramatically increase endurance.

Some maca users report that one to two teaspoons of Royal MacaTM Extract Powder taken one hour before a sports activity can greatly increas their athletic endurance. Maca contains no hormones. Rather it optimizes the functioning of the adrenal glands, which are the primary source of endurance in sports activity.

4. The wrong dose of maca will increase a menopausal woman's hot flashes.

Taken at the correct dosage, which differs for each woman, Royal MacaTM may be able to reduce or completely eliminate hot flashes in as little time as 4 days to a week. However, if the dosage is too high-and some women are very sensitive-the maca will have a stimulating and not balancing effect, and will actually INCREASE the amount of hot flashes. If this happens, maca users can cut the dosage in half for a week, and then re-evaluate. If the problem persists, cutting the dosage in half again may help to identify the optimal dosage.

5. The use of certain types of pharmaceutical anti-depressants will cause erectile dysfunction that even Royal MacaTM cannot overcome.

Men on anti-depressants may want to consult with a holistic doctor to see if there are any natural alternatives to their prescription drug which will not produce this side effect. Royal CamuTM (camu-camu), for example, is helpful for mild to moderate depression. (See our Herbal Library) and does not cause erectile dysfunction.

For more information on maca, see Our Herbal Library, or read Mary Shomon’s “Maca Information” interview with me.

Herbs – Are Capsules or Teas Better?

When it comes to herbs that come in both teas or capsule form, there's always the question as to which way is best to take your herbs? In fact, that is the question I get asked the most: "Which is more effective--capsules or tea? Without a doubt, it is far better to make a tea--really you are making a water based extract by simmering the tea for 15 - 30 minutes-versus taking a capsule that has ground-up leaf or bark in it. But whole world botanicals' Breakstone and Desmodium capsules are not just ground-up leaves. They are leaves which have been put through a water extraction process and then dried and powdered. So the labor of making the extract has been done for you. And yes, these capsules are very effective.

When I'm home, I tend to favor the teas, rather than take more pills. I just enjoy a nice cup of herbal tea. But it does take time to make the tea. You have to boil water, and then simmer various teas for 15 to 30 minutes or so to unlock the active ingredients. Since I do a lot of traveling, when I travel, for convenience, I use capsules, because the extraction - the simmering process - has already been done for me. When I don't feel well and am not up to making a whole pot of tea, I'll open up a capsule, dump the contents into a mug, pour some boiling water on it, and let it sit for a minute or two, add a squeeze of lemon, and then sit back and enjoy my herbal tea about an hour before I go to bed. The plant matter in the capsule is finely ground, and the grounds will settle to the bottom of the cup, so you don't have to strain it. I do this quite a bit with Royal Break-stoneTM, which is not only good for liver detoxification and kidney and gallstones, but also great for simple indigestion, or if you've overeaten or had too much pizza! It's totally portable, convenient, easy to use. I do the same with Royal DesmodiumTM. People who take Royal DesmodiumTM for bronchial issues or asthma have written to me to say that when they've had symptoms, they carry the capsules with them, and they can take them with water, or make it into a tea. We're finding now that other people are catching onto this, and are ordering both capsules and teas.

Feedback and Reader Mail

We’ve been receiving quite a bit of mail recently about our Royal DesmodiumTM (Desmodium adscendens) product, which we make available both as tea and in extract capsules. Sometimes called “Pega-Pega” or “Amor Seco” by the Peruvians and “Strong Back” in Belize, it grows as a vine that clings to trees in tropical rainforests. Here are a few emails we thought you might find interesting.

A friend in Florida writes:

“I am an active sportsman, including horseback riding, rock climbing, and racquetball. In recent years, however, I've been limited by two knee surgeries. I would be in pain for ten days with my knees after a hard, competitive game of racquetball. My acupuncturist introduced me to Royal Desmodium to try for my knee pain, and I am happy to report that it now only takes me a day or two to get out of pain after playing. I’ve been taking two capsules twice a day on an empty stomach.”

A New York City resident has this to say:

"This time of year my sinus allergies really kick in. I really don't like to take over-the-counter drugs for relief of symptoms. But I've found that I can control my running eyes and nose by taking Royal Desmodium. (I’ve been taking two caps three times a day). I really like the fact that I'm helping my liver and feeling more energy at the same time!”

Dr. Cherkezian, L.Ac. of Boca Raton, Florida shared this with us:

"I have put all of my patients with congestive heart failure on Royal Desmodium. I find that it clears their lungs of fluid better than anything else and after a few days it stops their coughing. Since they are breathing better, they are better oxygenated and have more energy."

Please feel free to write in with your own herbal success stories, advice, ideas and questions!

-- Viana

Links

If you would like to explore more about some of the work I’ve been doing, check out these interviews.

South American Herbs – A look at South American medicinal herbs from the rain forest and Andes, and their use in treating hormonal imbalances, and potential use in thyroid regulation, and more.

South American Herbs and Autoimmune Disease -- South American herbs that can fight viruses, and boost and strengthen the immune system.

Viana's Journal

First, I’m so pleased that so many customers, friends and colleagues have signed up to receive my new “Whole World of Herbs” newsletter. I look forward to communicating with you on a regular basis, and hearing from you as well, regarding your questions, uses and interest in South American herbs. Our "Whole World of Herbs" community is amazingly diverse. I confess that I spend some time daydreaming about getting us all together in different geographical areas and in different venues.

This community of Whole World Botanicals herb users includes, among many: Tibetan lamas, thousands of courageous women who have said "no" to their doctors on using HRT, a screenwriter from Hollywood, an artist from Northern California who makes art to deepen spiritual experience, a coach of a major baseball team, a well known Amish healer from Ohio whose patients visit him from six states and from Canada, numerous other healers including medical intuitives, doctors of Oriental medicine and licensed acupuncturists, medical doctors, naturopaths, licensed massage therapists, men in their seventies who have given their wives second honeymoons, a New England woman who grows flowers on her farm and sells flower essences, African women social activists visiting America who have taken maca home to their mothers to use in Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya, postal clerks, school teachers, psychotherapists, mothers, and many others.

I am privileged to serve this community just as all of us who purchase Royal Maca and the other Royal Peruvian HerbsTM are all privileged to serve the native people of Peru by purchasing herbal products from a company that has a social mission directed to Native People of Peru and to the biodiversity of the Earth, as essential reasons for its existence.

Right now, I'm in the home stretch finishing up my new book on maca, and I look forward to having it published and making it available to you soon. This project has kept me grounded in New York, and Elena Rojas, the Peruvian co-founder of Whole World Botanicals, who is also a midwife, has gone to Peru for a month to visit the maca communities who work with us and to prepare for organic re-certification. She is meeting with community members to hear their concerns and to share some fellowship. She is also meeting with the agronomist who visits the communities every month and prepares monthly reports on the maca cultivation for us and for Skal, the European organic certification agency which certifies our Royal Maca(r) on an annual basis. Skal is one of the few organic certification organizations officially recognized by the European Union. We are proud to display our Re-certification Certificate for 2002 which you can find on our website.

Thanks again for subscribing to "A Whole World of Herbs." I'll look forward to hearing your feedback.

Hasta el próximo mes (Until next month),

-- Viana

"A Whole World of Herbs" email newsletter is published regularly by Viana Muller, Ph.D. Please invite your friends to subscribe! Send them a copy with your recommendation.
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NOTE: All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician or health practitioner before starting any supplements, vitamins, diet programs, fitness regimens, or changing prescribed treatments or medications. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.

Whole World Botanicals is a Fair Trade company. We are members of Co-op America, helping to support the environment, and the native peoples who are the growers and collectors of these herbs.

"A Whole World of Herbs" is copyright © 2002, Viana Muller.

Whole World Botanicals, Inc.
PO Box 322074 Ft. Wash. Station
New York NY 10032
Toll-free phone 877-885-5517
Phone 212-781-6026    Fax 212-781-0440