Maca Powder: The Perfect Food For Hormone Imbalance, Anxiety, Energy, Sleep, And Libido

Maca comes from the brassica (mustard) family, similar to turnip, cabbage, and watercress. This superfood was first used by the Incans who grew this hearty plant high in the Andes Mountains of Peru.

The Incans valued maca, which they commonly called Peruvian ginseng, for its incredible sources of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, tannins and amino acids, as well as a number of complex alkaloids and up to 20 essential fatty acids, along with numerous other phytochemicals.

I really think that you’ll be amazed when we tell you that the Incan imperial warriors regularly ate maca prior to battle to help increase their “fighting spirit,” strength, stamina, and libido. Although relatively small, this vegetable was so potent that its use was restricted mainly to royalty and their court. Incans respected the value of this plant so much they even used it as a form of payment.

Even today, many athletes and even bodybuilders still use maca to help build their strength, stamina and overall performance.

But, ladies and gentlemen, you should know that maca has another, lesser known benefit that researchers are only beginning to understand. This potent vegetable has the ability to balance hormones, which makes it invaluable for both men and women in various stages of life.

According to the experts, maca is especially good for women during menopause. Take a look at the article below and find out more about this.

Maca for Women

1. Regulates Hormonal Imbalances

First of all, you should know that maca is considered to be an endocrine adaptogen. Maca doesn’t contain any hormones, but it does contain the necessary nutrients to support normal hormone production within your body.

One of these nutrients is DIM (Diindolylmethane), a phytochemical that is found in many cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. DIM has been found in numerous studies to greatly improve hormone balance (both estrogen and testosterone) in both men and women.

Maca is also effective against some forms of cancer. A recent study has revealed that maca can help to normalize hormone levels by working with your endocrine system.

For women, maca can be a lifesaver, especially when most conventional options typically involve synthetic forms of hormones that are proven to be dangerous, even causing such things as ovarian cancer, stroke, and asthma, among other things.

Bottom line – maca provides the nutrients your body needs to naturally produce its own hormones to effectively restore balance. The conventional hormone treatments introduce synthetically made chemicals that can wreak havoc on your endocrine system. Hormone regulation is vital as these substances are responsible for virtually every process in your body.

2. Reduces Symptoms of Menopause

As we said, maca can help you balance your hormones, which means that it’s extremely helpful for women to reduce the typical symptoms associated with menopause.

A recent study has discovered that maca can help to alleviate the negative physiological and psychological symptoms experienced by women in perimenopause, such as the frequency of hot flashes, the incidence of night sweats, interrupted sleep, nervousness, depression, and heart palpitations.

The lead researcher said:

“It appears that Maca-GO may act as a toner of hormonal processes, leading to alleviation of discomfort felt by perimenopausal women, hence, its potential use as non-hormonal alternative to HRT program.”

Another study revealed that for women, maca is able to successfully restore hormone balance. The researchers have concluded that the changes in hormone levels was accompanied by a substantially-reduced feeling of discomfort associated with menopause.

Unfortunately, many women complain of “brain fog” during menopause, which has been linked to fluctuating hormones levels. Maca can improve this type of memory loss and it’s a potent neuroprotective agent, which makes it a potential treatment to help prevent or slow disease, and possibly, even in the case of injury, halt or at least slow, the loss of neurons.

3. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

You should know that maca is loaded with plant sterols, including sitosterol, campestrol, ergosterol, brassicasterol, and ergostadienol. According to the experts, these chemicals are essentially the equivalent of the cholesterol found your body.

These sterols help to form the cell membranes in plants. YES, there are different types of plant sterols, but they all have a similar chemical structure and have been shown by researchers to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in humans as well as combat three of the most common types of cancer.

4. Lowers Glucose Levels

Study has revealed that after just two weeks, subjects who took maca experienced significantly improved glucose tolerance, and lowered levels of glucose in their blood.

5. Reduces High Blood Pressure

Study confirms – maca can significantly inhibit the hypertension relevant angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE).

Maca for Women… And Men?

– Reduces Prostate Size

As we said, this super healthy powder is very beneficial for men as well. Study – a specific type of maca (red maca) can suppress prostatic growth and even reduce prostate size, which makes it a valuable tool for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a problem older men often face.

A group of experts have revealed that maca may be as potent as finasteride (a popular drug used to treat BPH) in reducing prostate size.

– Increases Fertility

Maca can also be a potential treatment for male infertility, especially if it is a result of lead exposure. Maca can effectively improve sperm production and motility.

Source: www.InTheHouseOfHealth.info

11 Reasons Why You Should Consume Beetroot Every Day!

Beetroot is one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. It’s a nutrient-dense super-food packed with essential nutrients. It’s a good source of vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, potassium, manganese, fiber, copper, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. It’s also packed with powerful antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, betalain, and anthocyanin.

Although available all year round, this root vegetable is sweetest and most tender during its peak season, from June to October. It should be consumed raw and uncooked as cooking might destroy most of its nutrients.

11 Reasons Why You Should Consume Beetroot Every Day:

– It may help dilate and relax your blood vessels

The naturally-occurring salt called nitrate found in beetroot is converted to nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide may help dilate and relax your blood vessels, boosting your blood flow. The amino acid called betaine found in this vegetable may help prevent the build-up of homocysteine in your blood, preventing circulation problems.

– It may help improve your skin health

Beetroot contains folate, which’s one of the B vitamins important for skin health. It may help stimulate re-pigmentation of white skin patches of vitiligo and prevent skin cancer. Beetroot is also a great source of vitamin C that may help clear your blemishes, even out your skin tone and give it a natural glow.

– It may help enhance your liver health

Beetroot is a unique source of betalains – a kind of phytonutrient, which has potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxification properties. This root vegetable acts as an excellent liver cleanser and may help support proper liver function. With the help of compounds like glycine and methionine, it may help prevent fatty acids from building up in your liver and improve your liver health.

– It might help prevent cancerous tumor formation or reduce cancerous cell proliferation

The betanin (a form of betalain) found in beetroot might help prevent cancerous tumor formation and reduce cancerous cell proliferation. It might have the power to prevent the formation of prostate, skin, lung and breast cancer. Beetroot juice, when consumed along with carrot extract, might aid in the treatment of leukemia.

– It may help relieve constipation

This root vegetable is high in dietary fiber that may help stimulate the nerves in your intestines and improve your body’s ability to digest food. The high dietary fiber content may add bulk to your stool and relieve constipation.

– It may help alleviate menstrual pain and menopause symptoms

Menopause and menstruation are known to cause an influx of hormones. But, the phytochemicals found in beetroot may help balance your hormones and stimulate the production of estrogen, minimizing your monthly rollercoaster.

This super-food is also packed with iron, which may help prevent iron deficiency, reduce irritability and fatigue. Also, it is a good source of folate (vitamin B9), which may help regulate menstrual periods.

– It may help boost your mood and improve your mental health

Beetroot possesses tryptophan, an amino acid that may help promote feelings of relaxation and well-being. The betaine found in this root vegetable may help induce the metabolization of body chemical SAM-e that’s a natural anti-depressant. Beetroot may help improve blood flow to your brain, enhance cognitive function, and prevent dementia.

– It may help enhance your muscle strength and boost your endurance and stamina

Beetroot may feed your muscles with increased iron-rich blood flow, magnesium and nitrites. The nitrate content found in this vegetable turns into nitric oxide, reducing the oxygen cost of low-intensity exercise while improving the stamina for high-intensity exercise. This means that drinking beet juice may help increase your muscle strength and boost your endurance during a workout.

– It may help prevent oxidative stress-induced changes, decrease your glucose levels, and elevate your insulin sensitivity

The antioxidant called alpha-lipoic acid found in beetroot may help prevent oxidative stress-induced changes, decrease your glucose levels, and elevate your insulin sensitivity. The alpha-lipoic acid may also help alleviate the symptoms of autonomic neuropathy and peripheral neuropathy.

– It may help improve your respiratory health

This vegetable is packed with vitamin C, which’s a potent antioxidant that may help boost your immune system.

Vitamin C may help support proper function of your white blood cells that are your body’s primary line of defense against foreign bodies, improving your respiratory health.

– It may help reduce your blood pressure

Beetroot juice may help reduce both your diastolic and systolic blood pressure. The nitrates found in beetroot may help dilate and relax your blood vessels, increase your blood flow, and reduce your blood pressure.