Ginseng vs Maca for energy
Short answer: For energy, more users report improvement with Ginseng — 90% of 68 reports, versus 85% of 48 for Maca.
Ginseng has 215 meta-analyses and 243 randomized trials on PubMed; Maca has 13 and 13.
Based on 299 reports about Ginseng and 405 about Maca. Not medical advice.
| Ginseng Supplement | Maca Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 63%helped114 reports · high confidence | 53%helped190 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 215 / 243 | 13 / 13 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Libido % reporting improvement | 90% (20) | 90% (152) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 90% (68) | 85% (48) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 67% (15) | 83% (41) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 89% (18) | 92% (12) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 50% (2) | 74% (19) |
| Common side effects | insomnia, headache, drowsiness, psychosis | anxiety, stomach issues, acne, headache |
| Typical dose reported | 200 mg / with breakfast | 1 rounded tbsp (~9 g) / 3 days on / 2 days off, then a week off |
But in the future, more high-quality studies are needed to determine the effects of ginseng on cognitive function. Trial Registration: Prospero: CRD42024514231.
Phytother Res, 2024 ↗“After taking it for a few days, I noticed a few effects I didn't read about beforehand: I became incredibly horny and was getting rock hard boners all day.”
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