Picture a plant that thrives even in the harshest of growing environments: high altitude, rocky soil, and relentless sun and wind. If that’s not the perfect metaphor for a successful freelancer, we don’t know what is.
That remarkable plant that not only survives but thrives against all odds is maca. Maca is a super-food and traditional herbal supplement that has been gathering momentum in recent years.
Science is starting to get excited about maca. But to the indigenous people of the Andes, maca is old news. This ancient plant has been cultivated for at least 2000 years, and has been traditionally consumed for multiple health benefits.
Maca Root Benefits
Maca is renowned as a rich source of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Although this super-food is perhaps most famous for its ability to enhance reproductive health, it may actually have a diverse range of additional benefits. Maca may play a role in boosting energy, antioxidation, anti-fatigue, and anti-stress, to name just a few.
Freelancing, contract work, and other professional endeavors can often leave you depleted, stressed, and anxious. That’s why in this article, we’re looking at seven ways maca root can help you supercharge your freelance career.
What are the benefits of maca? Which of those are based in science, and which are based on thousands of years of observation? And practically speaking, how should you incorporate maca into your daily routine to optimize your energy, productivity, and well-being? Here are seven ways freelancers may experience the benefits of maca root for productivity, stress-relief, and overall well-being.
1. Stress Management
Like the maca plant which grows in a stressful environment, we like to think that we do well under stressful conditions–but sometimes we all need a little extra support. Maca is what’s known as an adaptogen, which means it can support your body’s ability to deal with stress.
One way maca provides stress relief is by providing your body with essential nutrients, like amino acids, fatty acids, potassium, magnesium, and iron, just to name a few. When your body is well-nourished, you are better equipped to handle unavoidable stressors in your day-to-day life.
But this isn’t just about nutrition. Maca also contains an array of bioactive compounds, like alkaloids, polyphenols, and macamides. These compounds are thought to explain the mechanisms behind some of the adaptogenic properties of maca, as well as some of the other benefits we’ll discuss.
2. Improved Energy
Maca root has long been thought to provide a natural energy boost. In fact, athletes even use maca to enhance physical performance and oxygen consumption. In an experiment on soccer players, ingestion of 1500 mg of maca per day for two months was able to increase physical performance by 10%. The researchers suggest that this data is not specific to athletes, and can be extrapolated to a general population.
Similar energy benefits were observed in animal models. For example, rats treated with maca for one month showed improved biological markers when subjected to a forced swim test, compared to a control group.
3. Enhanced Learning Capacity
For the freelancer who wants to increase productivity, learning capacity is a critical factor. Maca, and in particular black maca, has been suggested to improve learning and memory in animal models. In these experiments, rats are treated with scopolamine or ethanol as a way to impair memory and learning. Rats who were also given maca experienced a partial reversal of the memory and learning impairment.
Although we are still awaiting clinical evidence in humans, these preliminary results suggest that maca could have the ability to promote learning and memory function.
4. Optimized Fertility
Whether or not you are interested in having kids, reproductive health is a sign of overall health and well-being. Optimal fertility means that your body is getting signals that it is safe to reproduce. That’s why stress can play such a big role in reproductive issues, particularly when it comes to career-driven professionals.
Enhanced reproductive health and libido are perhaps the most famous traditional benefits of maca root. Animal studies and limited clinical trials demonstrate that these traditional benefits hold up to science, with some evidence suggesting maca may be able to treat menopausal symptoms, erectile dysfunction, and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Maca may improve many factors related to male infertility, such as sperm production and quality, and libido. Although conflicting evidence suggests that maca may improve female fertility as well, clinical trials of maca in women have predominantly focused on peri- and post-menopausal women.
5. Anti-Fatigue
Several animal studies have tested the anti-fatigue powers of maca by subjecting rats to a forced swim test. While we don’t necessarily liken freelance work to a forced swim test, we’re sure you can get a sense of the similarities.
Rats that were given maca or maca polysaccharide showed prolonged swim time and improved biomarkers, indicating that maca may have an anti-fatigue effect. Human trials are still needed to ascertain this particular benefit of maca.
6. Antioxidant
Oxidative stress is one of the key pathways implicated in disease and aging. Maca contains many bioactive compounds that have been shown to have antioxidant properties, such as polyphenols, glucosinolates, alkamides, and non-starch polysaccharides. These compounds from maca have been suggested to beneficially alter oxidative pathways in vitro and in animal models.
7. Improved mood
Maca may have an effect of improving mood and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, it should be noted that these studies are specific to post-menopausal women and more data is needed to understand if these results hold true for other groups.
Maca Root Side Effects
Maca has been traditionally consumed for thousands of years, and is generally considered safe for daily consumption. A 2016 randomized control trial confirmed that maca extracts are well-tolerated and safe for regular consumption. If you have a special condition, we recommend you check with your doctor before supplementing with maca.
How to Incorporate Maca Root Into Your Daily Routine
Soma Naturals produces high quality maca root extract to suit your freelance lifestyle. See our product line for dosing instructions and recommendations on how to incorporate maca into your routine.
Ancient traditional knowledge and preliminary scientific research come together in this powerful herbal supplement. Maca contains the potent phytonutrients and bioactive compounds that can have profound effects on your ability to manage stress and optimize your well-being, especially if you are a busy freelancer or working professional.