PlainPill

Maca vs Maca Root for libido

Short answer: For libido, users rate them about the same: 90% report improvement with Maca (152 reports) and 90% with Maca Root (39 reports).

Maca has 13 meta-analyses and 13 randomized trials on PubMed; Maca Root has 3 and 1.

Based on 405 reports about Maca and 90 about Maca Root. Not medical advice.

Maca
Supplement
Maca Root
Supplement
Users say it helped53%helped190 reports · high confidence41%helped44 reports · medium confidence
Verdict
Mixed
Mixed
ResearchAResearch: StrongBResearch: Moderate
Meta-analyses / RCTs13 / 133 / 1
Mainly used for
Libido
% reporting improvement
90% (152)90% (39)
Energy
% reporting improvement
85% (48)92% (12)
Mood
% reporting improvement
83% (41)62% (8)
Hormones
% reporting improvement
74% (19)50% (6)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
44% (9)67% (6)
Common side effectsanxiety, stomach issues, acne, headachestomach issues, fatigue, diarrhea, jitteriness
Typical dose reported1 rounded tbsp (~9 g) / 3 days on / 2 days off, then a week off500 mg / 2x daily
Maca
Latest review conclusion

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 ↗
What a user said
“The better experiences were with gelatinized maca powder, 20g or so in a cup and my cock was hard as El Peñón de Gibraltar.”
Full Maca profile →
Maca Root
Latest review conclusion

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 ↗
What a user said
“maca root majorly helped my anxiety, and is giving me the confidence I need to actively improve my life.”
Full Maca Root profile →

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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