Herb ·Moderate evidence ·Reviewed May 2026
Peruvian root vegetable used for energy, libido, and hormonal balance.
The bottom line
Evidence rating moderate. Most-documented uses: energy, libido, hormonal balance. 21 sources indexed (2002–2024), with 7 interaction records on file.
Core mechanism
Macamides and macaenes modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary axis without directly containing hormones. Supports estrogen balance and enhances mitochondrial function.
Take with food; gelatinized form preferred1,6
Dosing protocol
Black, red, and yellow varieties may differ in effect. Effect on libido is independent of testosterone.14
Ranked by evidence and value.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Gelatinized Maca Powder.
Assumes 1,500-3,000 mg/day. Vendor basis: iHerb, Vitacost, Amazon marketplace, and specialty maca powders; gelatinized organic powder costs more. Updated 2026-05-28.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Maca is itself a food root in traditional diets, but extracts may be more concentrated.
What to test, the optimal window inside the conventional range, and how long a response takes.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii, 1.5 to 3 g per day) improves subjective sexual function and libido modestly in small RCTs; does NOT raise testosterone or estradiol in placebo-controlled studies.12,6
No reliable blood biomarker for maca effect (hormones unchanged). Track FSFI (women) or IIEF (men). Black, red, and yellow maca may differ in effect.
Where this appears in the symptom-to-supplement map, ranked by relevance.
Maca improves subjective libido in men and women in placebo-controlled trials, independent of testosterone changes.9,12
Effect typically observed by 8 weeks; reproduces across men and women.
A non-hormonal root that may support energy, mood, and libido through poorly characterized neuroendocrine pathways rather than direct estrogen activity.8,13
Start low; gelatinized forms are generally easier to digest than raw powder.
Maca is traditionally used to support hormonal balance and may influence cycle regularity, but controlled human evidence is limited.2,3
Persistently absent or very irregular cycles need a clinician to check thyroid, prolactin, and PCOS.
Maca improves subjective menopausal symptom scores in small RCTs without changing estradiol or FSH.12,2
Effect is on symptom experience, not hormone levels.
Evidence-based stacks that include it, with the exact dose and timing each one uses.
Maca Root is a non-hormonal botanical that small trials suggest may support mood, energy, and sexual well-being in menopausal women, and the available evidence indicates these effects are not related to estrogen or androgen content. The evidence base is small and preliminary, so benefits vary between individuals.8,9
Maca Root is a Peruvian adaptogen that may support sexual desire and wellbeing through non-hormonal pathways, since trials report effects without measurable changes in circulating estrogen or testosterone. Evidence in women is limited and drawn mostly from small trials, so benefits are best framed as emerging.14,6
Maca Root (Lepidium meyenii) is studied mainly for energy, mood, and wellbeing, with some small trials suggesting improvements in self reported mood and stress related symptoms. Its role in HPA axis support is indirect and the supporting evidence is emerging.8,10
Maca improves subjective sexual function without changing hormones; DHEA raises androgens. Combined use can support both subjective and hormonal contributors to libido.
Recommendation: Combine for libido in adults with low DHEA-S. Test DHEA-S baseline and at 8 to 12 weeks.
Maca improves subjective libido without changing hormones; tongkat ali raises testosterone. Combined use targets both subjective and hormonal contributors to male sexual function.
Recommendation: Common stack: maca 1.5 to 3 g plus tongkat ali 200 to 400 mg per day.
The pair approaches sexual function from two angles, with Maca acting on libido and sexual desire while L-Arginine supports the nitric oxide pathway involved in blood flow and erectile response.
Recommendation: May be combined for libido and erectile support. Maca is taken daily over weeks; L-Arginine is often dosed at 1.5 to 5g per day. Use caution with antihypertensives or nitrates given L-Arginine vasodilation.
The pair combines Maca's effect on sexual desire with Ginkgo's influence on peripheral blood flow and nitric oxide, offering complementary support for sexual function.
Recommendation: May be combined for libido and circulation support. Note that Ginkgo has antiplatelet activity, so use caution with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication. Ginkgo evidence for sexual dysfunction is mixed.
Combining Tribulus and Maca pairs two libido and sexual function botanicals that act through largely separate pathways, giving complementary support for desire and erectile function.
Recommendation: Reasonable to stack for libido or sexual function support. Use standard doses of each (Tribulus 250 to 750mg standardized for saponins, Maca 1.5 to 3g) and assess response over 8 to 12 weeks.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has shown benefits for libido and sexual function in small trials but does not raise serum testosterone. It is generally safe to combine with prescribed testosterone, although it adds nothing to androgen replacement and may complicate side-effect attribution.
Recommendation: Maca 1.5-3 g/day is generally well tolerated alongside testosterone therapy and is a reasonable choice if libido remains low despite adequate testosterone levels. Discuss with your prescriber so you can attribute any side effects correctly.
Maca has been used for menopausal symptoms and sexual function with modest positive findings in small trials, and does not contain phytoestrogens. It is generally compatible with prescribed estradiol but is rarely needed and may complicate side-effect attribution.
Recommendation: If menopausal symptoms persist on prescribed estradiol, maca 1.5-3 g/day may be tried with prescriber awareness. Maca does not raise serum estradiol, so dose adjustments are usually not needed.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Ginseng supplementation significantly improved cognitive function including reaction time, attention, and memory across healthy adults and clinical populations in pooled analysis.
Ginseng and ginseng-containing herbal formulas significantly reduced fatigue symptoms in both healthy individuals and patients with chronic conditions, including cancer-related fatigue.
Among dietary supplements evaluated for erectile dysfunction, ginseng (Panax ginseng) showed the most consistent evidence of efficacy, significantly improving International Index of Erectile Function scores.
Meta-analysis of RCTs found maca supplementation significantly improved sexual dysfunction and sexual desire in adult men compared to placebo.
Shin D, Jeon SH, Piao J et al.. Efficacy and Safety of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Patients with Symptoms of Late-Onset Hypogonadism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. The world journal of men's health. 2023
Kang S, Ahn BO, Park MH et al.. Effects of Black Maca supplement on isokinetics muscular performance of elite women's handball players: placebo-controlled, crossover study. Food & nutrition research. 2023
Gonzales-Arimborgo C, Yupanqui I, Montero E et al.. Acceptability, Safety, and Efficacy of Oral Administration of Extracts of Black or Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Adult Human Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). 2016
Melnikovova I, Fait T, Kolarova M et al.. Effect of Lepidium meyenii Walp. on Semen Parameters and Serum Hormone Levels in Healthy Adult Men: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. 2015
Patients taking maca experienced a more significant increase in IIEF-5 score compared to placebo, with improvements in general and sexual well-being
Maca (3.5 g/d) reduced psychological symptoms including anxiety and depression and lowered measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women independent of estrogenic or androgenic activity
Meissner HO, Mscisz A, Reich-Bilinska H et al.. Hormone-Balancing Effect of Pre-Gelatinized Organic Maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacon): (II) Physiological and Symptomatic Responses of Early-Postmenopausal Women to Standardized doses of Maca in Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Centre Clinical Study. International journal of biomedical science : IJBS. 2006
Maca improved sexual desire at 8 weeks independent of serum testosterone and estradiol levels
Maca is generally safe with rare adverse effects; low toxicity and good human tolerance confirmed by preclinical studies
Systematic review found evidence that maca consumption may reduce fatigue and improve energy levels, mood, and physical performance.
Four RCTs met inclusion criteria; limited evidence suggests maca improves sexual desire after at least 6 weeks of treatment
Maca extracts are not able to regulate glucocorticoid response element activation, confirming it lacks direct hormonal activity
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