Ashwagandha vs Maca for libido
Short answer: For libido, more users report improvement with Maca — 90% of 152 reports, versus 62% of 127 for Ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha has 48 meta-analyses and 59 randomized trials on PubMed; Maca has 13 and 13.
Based on 2,447 reports about Ashwagandha and 405 about Maca. Not medical advice.
| Ashwagandha Supplement | Maca Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 44%helped1,321 reports · high confidence | 53%helped190 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 48 / 59 | 13 / 13 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 88% (881) | 44% (9) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 53% (446) | 83% (41) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 62% (127) | 90% (152) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 77% (233) | 40% (5) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 53% (125) | 85% (48) |
| Common side effects | anhedonia, drowsiness, fatigue, depression | anxiety, stomach issues, acne, headache |
| Typical dose reported | 800-1600 mg / after dinner | 1 rounded tbsp (~9 g) / 3 days on / 2 days off, then a week off |
The current systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of RCTs revealed a beneficial effect in both stress and anxiety following Ashwagandha supplementation. However, further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the plant.
Phytother Res, 2022 ↗“I paired it with maca and ashwaganda and it legit felt like a steroid cycle.”
Conclusion: The evidence from the included studies suggests unclear effects of maca on semen quality parameters in both men experiencing infertility and healthy men. However, the total number of RCTs and the total sample size were too small to draw firm conclusions.
Front Pharmacol, 2022 ↗“The better experiences were with gelatinized maca powder, 20g or so in a cup and my cock was hard as El Peñón de Gibraltar.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate