Maca Testimonials From Real People
The following testimonials cover many
topics relating to
Maca root and how it has improved
people's lives and well being.
Maca was recommended to me for
depression. As is so often the case with
depression there were a variety of causes,
but fluctuating hormones were certainly
not helping matters. I began having a
heaped teaspoon before breakfast and lunch
in a juice or a milk shake, with a week
off after every month.
It has stabilised the fluctuations,
allowing me clarity and enabling me to
actually see the other things that I need
to do to live my life fully. My body
ENJOYS it, maybe it’s the complex
multi-whatsits, but there is always a good
feeling when I've had my morning brew.
Emma (Wellsford, New Zealand).
I rarely suggest dietary supplements to my
patients, but have had no hesitation in
referring Maca to those whom I feel would
benefit from the wonderful effects of
their hormonal systems coming into balance
(sometimes for the first time)
along with the added benefits of increased
energy levels. One of the major reasons
for the success of maca relates to the
fact that it is easily assimilated and
recognised by the body as a food and
assists in stabilising the blood sugar
levels. I have been using maca for the
past year and had results within the first
2-3 weeks.
Nicola Dallow,
Diploma Senior Functional therapy,
Diploma Zen Shiatsu.
Norfolk Island.
"I had a hysterectomy at the tender age
of 28 (I am 51 now) and as a result
experienced the early onset of menopause.
Shock and horror! Anxiety, lack of energy,
headaches, sweats and hot flushes, lack of
concentration and a foggy head,
constipation, tender breasts, vaginal
dryness and cramps … All that made life
quite miserable for this young mother. But
my doctor had the answer - 50mg patches of
oestrogen weekly.
That put paid to the hot flushes and
sweats, but I still suffered from tender
breasts, an ongoing lack of energy, and
recurring anxieties. I put up with them
for many years since in comparison with
what had been going on, life was better.
But then about four years ago, I began
seeing reports about side-effects of HRT
and the concern that long-term use might
be dangerous. So I went off HRT for 18
months. Back came the flushes and sweats;
in fact, all the symptoms came back again.
I took a second opinion and was put on HRT
in tablet form for about a year, which
seemed to settle things down. But when I
read about the research done in America
that confirmed HRT was dangerous in the
long-term, I was getting pretty worried.
I began to explore natural alternatives
to HRT, but none seemed to quite fit the
bill until I heard about Maca, with its
long established reputation for settling
the symptoms of menopause. I decided to
trial Maca Magic™
in tablet form, which is highly
concentrated and rich in protein, minerals
and vitamins. I tested different strengths
and found my body accepted one-and-a-half
tablets a day, and all the symptoms
disappeared - except for the occasional
hot sweat when I have a week's break after
taking Maca for a month. I'm now
recommending Maca to all my friends who I
think need it. I have not experienced any
side-effects. It's awesome!" - Suzanne
(New Plymouth, New Zealand)
"Firstly, let me say that so far, none
of the Maca Magic™ products I have tried
have given me a 'rush' in the way you
would probably imagine. They are all
gentle or subtle, I guess, but longer
lasting and have no noticeable side
effects. This was a key selling point when
it came to MaCafe™ There is no 'hit' from
MaCafe™ as you would associate with
coffee, but then, neither is there the
equally powerful 'drop' you get not long
after you drink coffee - or the bad
breath! MaCafe™ gives me a gentle 'lift'
that lasts much longer than the 'hit' from
coffee. For this reason, I thoroughly
recommend MaCafe™ as an alternative to
coffee, especially if you are trying to
'kick the habit'.
I have recently begun playing a game
called Ultimate - a game similar to
netball but with a Frisbee - which is very
fast, very exhausting and great fun!
Recently I played in a tournament that
required me to play nine forty-five minute
games in one weekend. Needless to say I
was very tired by the end of it, but
having AdrenaLift™ in my water the whole
weekend allowed me to continue playing
(and running!) for the whole weekend. I am
convinced it gave me the stamina and power
to just keep on going.
Once again, the effects were subtle,
providing more of a 'lift' or 'support'
than a 'hit'. I used the AdrenaLift™ as I
would any other sports drink on the market
today. These sports drinks, like coffee,
provide a 'hit' and then the resulting
'drop'. AdrenaLift™ came through for me
all weekend! - Gareth, aged 28 (Palmerston
North, New Zealand)
"Even taking natural thyroid
supplements I still lacked the energy and
zing that I'd had before menopause left me
hyopthyroid. Just one 450mg capsule of
Maca a day changed all that. I can
accomplish more things and - even more
importantly - I want to! I've got back my
zest and enthusiasm for finishing tasks.
Better still, I've been able to cut back
on the thyroid supplements as well.
I can only describe the impact of Maca
on me as unfogging my brain, even when I
hadn't been aware at the time that it was
indeed fogged! Maca opened up the air
spaces in my head without making me into
an airhead. Quite the opposite in fact! My
only regret is that I didn't find out
about Maca prior to all those hot
flushes!" - Jan (Auckland, New Zealand)
"I have been using Maca in the whole
powder form for about five months now. In
that time I got married, moved house, and
have held down a busy job. I found that
Maca definitely helped me have enough
energy at the end of the day to keep
organising the little details that always
need to be pored over for a wedding!
Rather than giving me an instant boost
as coffee would, I find that it gives me a
more steady level of energy, which lasts a
long time. I would recommend it to anyone
who leads a busy lifestyle." - Cherie,
aged 27 (Palmerston North, New Zealand)
During week days when I need to make an
early start, until a couple of months ago
I would travel to work, switch on the PC
and go for a cup of coffee to wake me up
for the day ahead - I'm definitely not a
morning person. Often though, this would
give me an acid stomach, an energy crash
(unless I ate something shortly
afterwards), and a mercy dash to the
toilet. After reading the literature on
Maca I tried the Maca powder for a while,
but found it a wee bit unpalatable for me.
I then came across MaCafe TM - roasted
Maca powder - and thought I'd give it a
shot. I gave myself a week to trial it.
The pungent smell and 'different' taste
took a few days to get used to - my
tastebuds were conditioned to expect
coffee. Anyway, I now drink it every
morning before work. It gives me a warm,
gentle energy boost over a much longer
period than coffee did - and no jitters,
acid stomach, energy crashes, or mercy
dashes! And the small amount needed for
each cup (1/4 teaspoon) means the product
goes a long way. - Davis, aged 31
(Auckland, New Zealand)
"Maca is one
of my favorite plants. Great when you need
energy, it also seems to help the body's
own hormonal system find balance quickly
and easily. I use it often."
- Leslie Kenton, Health Foods
Author
"I would like to write a testimonial
letter on how Maca helped me overcome Ross
River Fever and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
diagnosed over five years ago. I am
writing this letter in the hope that it
will encourage others with similar
symptoms to use this wonderful product. I
took a level teaspoon two times a day for
two weeks and then reduced the dose to
one-half a teaspoon two times per day as a
maintenance dose. I have been taking Maca
for three months now, although the two
weeks at two teaspoons per day made the
greatest difference. The symptoms of
mental and physical fatigue, loss of
libido, body aches and pains and
depression seem to have left me
permanently. This has not happened in at
least the last nine years. During this
time I did not stop looking for a way out
of my illness. I am 54-years-old and now
feel my youth has returned. This product
has made a huge difference to my life."
- David (USA)
"Three years ago I went through
stress-related menopause. I had already
been having problems with severe flooding,
but then it got much worse. In addition, I
had a lot of pain in my cervix and
ovaries. Tests showed that my hormones
were out of whack and the doctors
recommended HRT, which I did not take. I
went on various herbs for a year, but they
didn't help, and for three years I
haemorrhaged for ten days to two weeks
every month. Then two months ago I started
taking Maca, one teaspoon per day, and
very quickly I stopped the excessive
bleeding and all the pain disappeared. I'm
thrilled!" - Dawn (USA)
"After years of enduring periods heavy
enough to cause severe anaemia I am now,
three months after commencing Maca,
experiencing normal menstruation." -
Linda (USA)
"After three months on one-quarter
teaspoon of Maca, two times per day, my
fingernails have grown long and very hard.
In all my 81 years, I have never been able
to grow my nails! I have also experienced
a lot of increased energy, and my mouth
ulcers have healed." -
Elisen (USA)
"I can't believe how much more energy I
have since taking Maca, only one-quarter
teaspoon, once a day. For the first time
in years I am able to work all day in the
garden, and I used to be only able to
spend one or two hours. I'm sleeping much
better, and just feel so damn good!" -
Peter, aged 77 (USA)
"I am 55 years of age and have been
seriously searching for relief from
menopausal symptoms for the past 5 years,
having tried conventional and a variety of
herbal remedies with little or very short
term success. Natural progesterone cream
is effective for reducing the severe
headaches and depression but did not
assist the other symptoms associated with
menopause, such as lack of mental and
physical motivation, feelings of anxiety
followed by hot flushes and night sweats,
poor sleeping habits and frequency of
urination during the night, and a dry
vagina.
I tried Maca for two months, having
juggled the dosage within the first two
weeks to suit, and my symptoms as
described gradually disappeared (taken
along with natural progesterone cream now
in a minute dose). I find now that my
thinking and memory have improved, and
depression and anxiety are eliminated. I
suffer no hot flushes or night sweats. I
have more physical energy, which carries
me through the evening and can sleep
through the night, not having to visit the
bathroom at all. Vaginal lubrication has
also improved. I recommend Maca to anyone
who is suffering the uncomfortable,
annoying and debilitating symptoms of
menopause. For me, using Maca has been an
easy, natural way to restore harmony to
the endocrine system and with it new-found
confidence and energy to tackle each day."
- Judith (USA)
"For years I felt like I was in slow
motion. It was really hard to get going
and keep going all day, which I have to do
because I work, plus have a family to look
after. I just couldn't lose weight, no
matter how hard I dieted, and I think that
was because my metabolism has been
sluggish. Well, for the first few weeks of
taking Maca nothing happened, so I took a
bit extra, and then suddenly everything
changed. It feels like my metabolism is
finally in high gear, and I'm losing
weight! After a couple of weeks I cut back
to the maintenance dose, and I'm fine. I
have so much energy now that I can keep
going all day, plus I have plenty of
energy for my family at night." -
Alison (USA)
"Just dropping you a line to let you
know I've been taking one teaspoon of Maca
per day, for three weeks. I'm 42, have
five children and have been experiencing
menopausal symptoms for the last eight
months, maybe longer. I've noticed a
welcome difference in the following
symptoms: brain fatigue, tender breasts,
emotional upsets, and tiredness. I've felt
well enough to be motivated into daily
exercise and have stopped the usual eating
binges in the afternoon. Many thanks."
- Lia (USA)
Physician's Testimonial and Note:
(For more details, see Mind Boosters:
A Guide to Natural Supplements That
Enhance Your Mind, Memory, and Mood, by
Ray Sahelian, M.D. Hippocrates Health
Institute Australia)
Maca is a root-like vegetable shaped
like a radish that grows high in the
Andes. Native Peruvians apparently used
maca as a food and as medicine. Claims
exist that maca is an adaptogen similar to
ginseng. Maca has been used traditionally
to increase energy and to promote
endurance. Maca is available as capsules
containing 500 mg of the herb or as a
grain alcohol extract. I've only
experimented with maca for a week with
dosages ranging from 1,000 mg to 5,000 mg.
Within a few hours of taking the higher
dose of maca, there is an increase in
arousal and energy levels. This lasts a
few hours and then fades away. There is
also a slight mood elevation."
One young West Coast woman, Susan F,
has an interesting experience to tell.
After giving birth to two children, the
31-year old mother decided to use
contraceptive pills for the first time.
Since a possible side effect of the method
she chose was not having a period, Susan F
didn't think anything of its
non-occurrence until six months later when
she also began experiencing mood swings,
hot flashes, and dry skin. Her visit to an
endocrinologist revealed that the woman's
hormones were at 'menopause' levels. Then
Susan's mother told her that early
menopause runs in the family. Her
grandmother, her mother, and her older
sister all had early menopause. It had
been a year since her last period, and by
chance her husband brought home some Maca
for himself. He told his wife to try it,
too, which she did. Last June Susan F
experienced resumption of menstruation
once again. Her periods have been regular
ever since taking the maca. Susan F also
comments that her skin is now soft and
moist, the way it used to be.
Diane S, a 52-year-old librarian
from Rye, New York, would never consider
taking estrogen because of the health
risks she feared. Instead she opted
for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as an
anti-aging hormone. This very physically
active woman noticed an upsurge in her
energy from ingesting DHFA but intercourse
was still painful for her due to the
drying of her vagina. The gynecologist she
consulted about the problem told her it
was a "natural part of aging that could
only get worse with time." He told Diane S
that the only thing able to help would be
taking estrogen. But after three weeks of
taking Maca Diane reported that her
vaginal lubrication was good, and vaginal
dryness was no longer troublesome.
Note and Disclaimer:
This information is presented
only as material of general interest and
not as a prescription for any specific
person or any condition in a specific
case. We do not claim that any of these
experiences will be duplicated by others,
and we encourage everyone to seek the aid
of a qualified health practitioner for
advice pertaining to her/ his particular
condition and needs.
