Maca Root vs Panax Ginseng for libido
Short answer: For libido, more users report improvement with Maca Root — 90% of 39 reports, versus 81% of 16 for Panax Ginseng.
Maca Root has 3 meta-analyses and 1 randomized trials on PubMed; Panax Ginseng has 59 and 91.
Based on 90 reports about Maca Root and 225 about Panax Ginseng. Not medical advice.
| Maca Root Supplement | Panax Ginseng Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 41%helped44 reports · medium confidence | 66%helped79 reports · medium confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mostly positive |
| Research | BResearch: Moderate | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 3 / 1 | 59 / 91 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Energy % reporting improvement | 92% (12) | 89% (54) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 90% (39) | 81% (16) |
| Focus % reporting improvement | — | 79% (24) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 62% (8) | 85% (13) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 67% (6) | 100% (10) |
| Common side effects | stomach issues, fatigue, diarrhea, jitteriness | high blood, insomnia, burnout, disassociation |
| Typical dose reported | 500 mg / 2x daily | 0.25 tsp / weekdays |
In summary, there is some weak evidence to suggest that several botanical extracts may be effective in reducing the appearance of skin aging but no evidence that this effect is enduring. Independent replications with larger, more diverse samples, longer treatment durations and more rigorous study designs are required to validate these preliminary findings.
Drugs Aging, 2010 ↗“maca root majorly helped my anxiety, and is giving me the confidence I need to actively improve my life.”
The data from the meta-analysis showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. In the future, there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.
Nutrients, 2021 ↗“I left everything else the same and doubled my panax ginseng dose to about 2000 mg 3x daily. This really made the difference.”
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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