The famous Spanish explorers - Antonio Vázquez de Espinosa [1570-1630], Bernabé Cobo [1582-1657] and Hipólito Ruiz López [1754-1816] - were the first to document the presence of the Maca Root on the high plains of Peru, Bolivia and Argentina: a plant that has always been considered special for its nutritional virtues. The maca [Lepidium Meyenii], a tuber that belongs to the Cruciferae family [Brassicaceae], is a plant that is so resistant that it grows only between 3,000 - 4,000 meters above sea level, in very harsh environmental conditions. Its real richness is hidden under the ground, in the roots. Similar to rape, its colours, that identify the variety, range from white to golden yellow and from red to blue up to a diverse tone of green. The maca root is a food that is widely used in South America. Its high percentage of plant proteins, carbohydrates and mineral salts, make it a real low-calorie energizer, very useful in dealing with life at high altitudes as well as urban stress. The history of the maca has its roots in the ancient legends of the upper plains of Central Peru. According to tradition, the Great God Racco, the God of Thunder Llibiac Concharco and the God of Rain Yanamarán had given man everything that he needed, with the exception of a nourishing plant that was resistant enough to grow in such inhospitable lands. Only the divine intervention of Racco could overcome the problem. He mixed solar rays with the vital spirit of Pachamama, the Mother Earth. He then added the colours of the rainbow and called the other Gods to participate in the creation. Thanks to the contribution of the God of Thunder and the God of Rain, the plant took on unique features. It became resistant to evening frost and heavy rain, a plant that offered the shepherd of the high plains all the nourishment that they needed. Since then, the Andean priests have given thanks to the Gods for the great treasure that they received. to the core 21 PROPERTIES OF A NUTRACEUTICAL Starting from the 1960s, the maca root was first used by doctors and western gynaecologists as a nutraceutical, a functional food that provided benefits in terms of health and general mental-physical wellbeing. In particular, the focus was placed on the amino acids it contained such as histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine and tryptophan. Amongst the biological components of particular note are the glucosinolates that help combat tumours¹. Also of note is the presence of fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid² that helps to lower the level of bad cholesterol. THE PERUVIAN GINSENG Once dried and consumed in powder form, the maca root maintains its nutritional properties unaltered: proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and fundamental mineral salts such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium³, are perfect energy reserves that help increase physical resistance. It is not by chance, as stated above, that the maca root is consumed by the shepherds of the upper Peruvian plains, subjected to the continual stress of working at high altitudes. For these characteristics it has been called the “Peruvian ginseng4”: just like the notable Eastern herb, the maca is a highly effective natural tonic. THE FERTILITY ELIXIR The maca root is a real fertility elixir. Its ergot alkaloids stimulate ovogenesis in women and spermatogenesis in men. In men the presence of fructose also increase the efficiency and the motility of sperm5. A study conducted in 2001 on twenty male subjects treated with maca root showed an increase of 14% in sperm concentration6. Taking a daily dose of maca root (1.5-3 grams) can bring a considerable improvement in sexual performance7. 5. Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería - Programa Cybertesis, 2015, La maca roja (Lepidium Meyenii) y su acción en el tratamiento de la hiperplasia prostática benigna, viewable on-line at www.repositorio.uni.edu.pe/bitstream/uni/2738/1/alvarado_aj.pdf 6. Journal of Endocrinology, Jan. 2003, Effect of Lepidium Meyenii (Maca), a root with aphrodisiac and fertility-enhancing properties, on serum reproductive hormone levels in adult healthy men, viewable on-line at www.joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/176/1/163.full.pdf+html 7. Scientia Agropecuaria vol. 6 n. 2, Apr./Jun. 2015, Estudio del la maca (Lepidium Meyenii Walp.), cultivo andino con propiedades terapéuticas, viewable on-line at www.scielo.org.pe/scielo.php?pid=S2077-99172015000200007&script=sci_arttext
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