herb · for stress
Maca
An adaptogen — thought to steady cortisol and lift how energetic you feel under pressure.
Say that in clinical terms
Adaptogenic cortisol modulation and subjective energy improvement reduce stress perception.
How strong is the research?
Evidence evidence
Only one studyStudied in a narrower groupLow-quality evidence
1 paper read, 1 supporting.
Who was studied: The cited study is of postmenopausal women.
How much to take
daily
1500–3000 mg
Reduces anxiety and depression scores in stressed populations.
Before you take it
- No NIH/IOM Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) has been established for Maca Root; human clinical safety data beyond 4 continuous months are limited.
- Maca contains glucosinolates that, in excess and combined with low dietary iodine, may impair thyroid hormone synthesis and cause goiter; use with caution in hypothyroidism or any thyroid disorder.
- Maca has been shown to modulate reproductive-hormone pathways (suppressing FSH/LH, altering estradiol) through non-estrogenic mechanisms; use with caution in hormone-sensitive conditions including estrogen-receptor-positive breast, uterine, or ovarian cancers; endometriosis; and uterine fibroids.
- Insufficient human data exist for use during pregnancy or lactation; not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding individuals.
- Post-marketing case reports of adverse events (headache, GI disturbance, dizziness, palpitations) occurred with multi-ingredient products; causal attribution to Maca alone has not been established in these reports.
What we make of it
The same 14-person pilot is supporting two separate claims.
The detail
This rests on the same postmenopausal study as our low mood claim. One pilot of 14 to 20 people cannot anchor two different claims about two different things.