The Maca root is a natural food supplement from the Andes in Peru which is taken in the form of Maca powder or capsules. Maca has such powerful nutritional properties that it is widely hailed as a ‘superfood'. One of the more impressive claims made about this humble root is that it can enhance fertility. Here, nutritional supplement supplier Rainforest Foods ( / ) asks whether this is a fair claim and if so, just how it improves male and female fertility.

People all over the world have been turned on to the nutritional benefits of the superfood Maca and regularly take Maca capsules or powder as a food supplement in order to get a powerful hit of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Maca is a tuber root and therefore a starch. It contains a hefty list of vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B12, C, D and E), a wealth of minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, silica, and traces of iodine, manganese and sodium) and a glut of amino acids (alanine, argine, glutamine, glycine, histidine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline….the list goes on because protein makes up around 14% of Maca root).

But there are arguably even more amazing potential benefits of taking Maca than this powerful punch of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It is said to provide greater stamina, strength and endurance as well as increasing mental capacity, and can even affect the hormonal balances of men and women. This is where the claims for enhancing fertility come into play. When taken as a supplement, the Maca root works on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland which is where male and female hormones originate. Maca is thought to regulate this hormonal pathway, balancing the body's system if they are producing too much or too little of a certain hormone.

Hormonal imbalance is a common cause of infertility, whether in men or women, so Maca's stabilising effect is the key to its reputation as a fertility enhancer (although it can also help with menopause and other hormone related problems). Men have taken Maca powder for erectile problems, for impotence and to increase their testosterone levels, while women have taken it as an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and for early menopause and other problems of the female reproductive system. In fact, Maca is believed to be so helpful in improving fertility that it has even been used in the treatment of animals where fertility needs a little helping hand!

While there is currently no proven scientific evidence that taking the Maca root can help fertility levels, the anecdotal ‘evidence' and reputation is impressive in itself, and the science behind the workings of this root on the human body does stack up. All proponents of taking Maca capsules or powder as a supplement do agree, however, that only organic, high quality Maca can be trusted to provide the most benefits. That's why Rainforest Foods only sells premium Maca which has been organically grown in Peru without the use of any pesticides and which has been certified organic by the Soil Association. For further information on Maca and a range of other nutritional supplements, visit