Back in my cabinet-full-of-superfoods era — and yes, I was absolutely that person with 20 different bags, a scoop in every hand, and an encyclopaedic knowledge of ORAC scores — maca was one of the very first superfoods I ever discovered.

I was probably 22 or 23 when I first encountered it. A small pouch from a health shop, a slightly earthy, malty flavour in my smoothie every morning. I felt something — more energy, a kind of groundedness — but I didn't fully understand why it was working.

A few years ago, I had the extraordinary opportunity to visit a maca farm in Peru and find out. We drove higher and higher into the Andes — past the treeline, past the clouds, past the point where the air felt noticeably thin and the landscape became spare and vast and almost otherworldly. All the way up to 4,000 metres above sea level.

We met the farmer who had been cultivating this land for generations. We walked through his fields. We held the maca root in our hands — this small, tough, turnip-like root that somehow survives conditions where almost nothing else does. And we asked him his secret.

He paused. Then he smiled. 'I make offerings to the land every day.'

I still think about that answer. What it says about his relationship with the earth. What it says about how he understands the food he grows. Something quietly important lives in that sentence.

What Maca Actually Is

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root vegetable that grows only in the high Andes — specifically above 4,000 metres altitude, in conditions of extreme cold, intense UV radiation, thin air, and dramatic temperature swings. These conditions, which would destroy most plants, are precisely what make maca so extraordinarily nutrient-dense. The plant has evolved survival compounds of remarkable potency. And those compounds benefit us.

Maca has been cultivated as both food and medicine by the Andean people for at least 2,000 years, though traditional oral history suggests use going back much further. Inca warriors reportedly consumed maca before battle for stamina and endurance. Andean healers have used it for generations specifically for hormonal balance, vitality, and fertility — particularly in women.

Today, maca is one of the most studied adaptogens in the world. And the research is remarkably consistent.

How Maca Works as an Adaptogen

Most plants that affect hormones do so by containing hormone-like compounds (phytoestrogens) that bind to receptors and produce a hormonal effect. Maca works differently — and this is what makes it both safer and more versatile.

Maca's active compounds — primarily glucosinolates and unique alkaloids — work through plant sterols that communicate directly with the hypothalamus and pituitary gland: the master control centres of the endocrine system. Maca doesn't flood your body with hormones. It helps your body recalibrate its own hormone production and regulation.

This is the definition of a true adaptogen: bidirectional, normalising, supporting the body's own intelligence rather than overriding it. And it's why maca is valuable for women across such a wide range of hormonal conditions — from estrogen dominance to estrogen deficiency, from high-energy cycle phases to the low-energy of perimenopause.

What the Research Shows

Hormonal Balance & Menopause

A systematic review of clinical trials found that every study included in the analysis demonstrated favourable effects of maca on menopausal symptoms. This is an unusual level of consistency for any herbal intervention. Specifically, maca has been shown to reduce hot flashes, improve hormonal markers, and support the psychological symptoms — mood, energy, sleep — that accompany menopause and perimenopause.

Mood, Anxiety & Depression

In a randomised controlled trial in postmenopausal women, maca significantly reduced scores for anxiety and depression compared to placebo. The effect was sustained with continued use. This matters because the emotional dimension of hormonal change — often the most disruptive aspect of perimenopause — is frequently undertreated and over-normalised.

Libido & Sexual Wellness

Multiple clinical trials have found consistent evidence that maca preparations improve sexual function and libido in women — an effect that appears independent of hormonal changes and may relate to maca's direct effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Libido is a genuine marker of overall hormonal and neurological health. Its decline deserves to be taken seriously.

Energy & Physical Performance

Maca has been shown in clinical research to enhance physical performance and combat fatigue — effects observed in both perimenopausal women and in endurance athletes. For women managing the energy challenges that come with hormonal shifts, this is directly meaningful support.

Maca's Different Colours — Does It Matter?

You may have seen red, yellow, and black maca sold separately, with various claims attached to each colour. Here's what the research actually shows:

• Yellow maca — the most common, most studied, and the type used in most clinical trials. Excellent general hormonal support.

• Red maca — shows some additional research support for bone density and prostate health.

• Black maca — some evidence for enhanced male fertility and physical endurance.

For general women's hormonal support, yellow maca is the most well-supported and the most consistent in clinical evidence. This is what we source for Hormone Health.

The Sourcing Difference

The quality of maca matters enormously. Maca grown at lower altitudes — which is cheaper and easier — simply doesn't develop the same compound profile as maca grown at genuine high altitude under the stresses that create its potency. The same plant, dramatically different medicine.

This is why the farmer's words stayed with me. 'I make offerings to the land every day.' He wasn't describing a spiritual practice — he was describing a relationship. A daily, conscious engagement with the soil, the climate, the conditions that make this plant what it is. That relationship shows up in the root.

We know where our maca comes from. We know the altitude it was grown at. We know the farmers who grew it. That's not a marketing claim. It's the foundation of why any of this works.

→ Shop Hormone Health

→ Related: The Ancient Herb Every Woman Needs to Know — Shatavari

→ Related: How Herbs Help Balance Hormones Naturally

Eat Plants. Feel Alive.

Xo Kristel & Michael

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.