Maca nutrition
It is a fact and it is also confirmed that pure maca root has a really high level of nutrients necessary to maintain and improve health and overall well being. It is also clinically ( maca research ) proven that due to its extremelly rich nutritional value, and its special abilities, this root not only recover the body but also promotes rapid healing and eliminates different kinds of stress related problems.
Based on its historical facts ( maca history ) and essential nutrient value, maca became a well known super healthy food during the past twenty years, around the world.
Maca contains a valuable amount of vitamins, minerals, sterols, amino acids, glucosinolates and polysaccharides, two of three essential fatty acids (oleic and linoleic) and a total of 18 amino acids. Vitamin and mineral levels in some cases represent 100% of the recommended daily value. Here are more details about maca nutrition:
- Minerals
Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Phosphorous, Zinc, Copper, Potassium, Silica. - Vitamins
Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin E. - Amino acids
Alanine, Argine, Aspartate, Glutamine, Glycine, Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, sarcosine, serine, threonine, tyrosine and valine. - Fatty acids
Laric, palmitic, palitoleic, linoleic, arachidic, steric, behanic, nervonic, llignoceric, tridecanoic, perntadecanoic, nonadecanoic and eicosenoic (linoleic, palmetic and oleic acid are the primary fatty acids). - Sterols
Brassicasterol, erogosterol, ergostadienol, campestrol, sitosterol, stigmasterol. - Dried maca root
Carbohydrates 59%, Protein 10%, Dietary fiber 8,5% and Lipid 2,2 % - Maca alkaloids
Maca contains 4 alkaloids, Macaina 1, 2, 3 and 4. The maka alkaloids stimulate the hormone regulators of the reproductive system located in the brain. They also activate hormones that regulate the metabolism of calcium and phosphorous in the blood.
Maca has high protein content which is much higher from other plants. For example, Maca has 5 times more proteins and 4 times more fiber than the potato, having less fat.
Please note: To benefit from the nutritional value of this root, when you buy maca products look out if it was grown organically (without use of pesticides) and where about it was grown in Peru (some areas in Peru are affected by contaminated water from mines). The natural soil where pure maca is grown is in Junin area, the soil is fertilized with sheep manure and it contains a great amount of minerals which makes maca nutritional value extremelly high.
Source: gric Food Chem. 2002 Sep 25;50(20):5621-5. Investigation of the tuber constituents of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.). Piacente S, Carbone V, Plaza A, Zampelli A, Pizza C.d
