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

17 Magnesium Filled Foods That Can Lower Your Risk of Anxiety, Depression, Heart Attacks And More

Magnesium is the key to optimal health and proper biological function. Not only is the 4th most abundant mineral in our bodies, but there have been found over 3,750 magnesium-binding sites on human proteins in our bodies, too.

In fact, over 300 enzymes rely on this nutrient for optimal function. This tells a lot about its importance for our biochemical processes, most of which are vital for pepper metabolic function. This includes:

– Proper formation of bones and teeth

– Regulation of blood sugar and insulin sensitivity

– Creation of ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

– Relaxation of blood vessels

– Muscle and nerve function

Lack of Magnesium Can Trigger Serious Health Problems

Lack of cellular magnesium leads to deterioration of cellular metabolic function, which eventually causes some serious health issues.

This includes anxiety and depression, migraine headaches, cardiovascular disease, sudden cardiac death, fibromyalgia, and death from all causes.

Magnesium is important to body`s detoxification processes as well, including the synthesis of glutathione.

Ultimately, magnesium is needed for optimization of mitochondria,  which is of utmost importance for cancer prevention and general athletic and energy performance.

The Importance of Magnesium for Mitochondrial Health

Mitochondria are organelles found within the cells. All organs need energy to function normally, and that energy, known as ATP, is mostly produced in the mitochondria.

Growing evidence suggests that most health problems stem from mitochondrial dysfunction, so getting the precursors and nutrients that the mitochondria needs is extremely important for the overall health, exercise performance, and disease prevention.

According to mitochondrial researcher Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D., magnesium plays an important role for mitochondrial health, primarily because the oxidative capacity depends on mitochondria`s ability to produce energy within the cells.

How Much Magnesium Do You Need?

About a century ago, people received nearly 500 mg of magnesium from daily diet, due to the nutrient-dense soil in which their food was grown.

These days, people only get about 150-300 mg daily from dietary sources.

The RDA is around 310-420 mg daily, depending on age and sex, while some researchers suggest taking as much as 600-900 mg for optimal health.

According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, the intestinal reaction can be used as a marker for the right dose. Start by taking 200 mg of magnesium citrate daily and gradually increase the dose until you experience loose stools.

As for magnesium supplements, magnesium threonate is one of the best options. It is extremely effective in penetrating cell membranes, including the mitochondria and blood-brain barrier.

Risk Factors, Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

Eating a heavily processed diet is the major risk for magnesium deficiency as magnesium resides in chlorophyll molecule.

Eating leafy greens and other magnesium-dense foods once in a while means that you are not getting enough of it from your diet.

Magnesium is also lost through lack of sleep, prescription drug use (fluoride, statins, antibiotics), stress, and alcohol consumption.

All of these factors affect a large percentage of Americans, so the fact that 50-80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium doesn’t come as surprise.

Some of the earliest signs of magnesium deficiency include muscle spasms, migraines, headaches, fatigue, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Chronic magnesium deficiency can lead to problems like seizures, numbness, tingling, abnormal heart rhythms, coronary spasms, and personality changes.

What Are the Foods High in Magnesium?

Eating dark-green leafy veggies is one of the best ways to boost your magnesium levels as well as to maintain healthy levels. Juicing these greens is a good way to get the most of them! The leafy greens with the highest amount of magnesium include

– Kale

– Bok Choy

– Turnip Greens

– Collard Greens

– Beet Greens

– Swiss Chard

– Romaine Lettuce

– Brussel Sprouts

– Broccoli

– Spinach

Other foods that are particularly rich in magnesium include:

– Raw cacao nibs and/or unsweetened cocoa powder

– Avocados

– Fruits and berries

– Squash

– Seeds and nuts

– Herbs and spices (cumin, parsley, mustard seeds, fennel)

– Fatty fish

When Supplementing, Balance Your Magnesium with Calcium, Vitamin K2, and D

When one relies on supplements, it is important to understand how nutrients affect and interact with each other.

For instance, it is of utmost importance to balance between magnesium, calcium, vitamin K2, and vitamin D. These nutrients work in synergy and any imbalance increases the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and vitamin D toxicity.

– The best ratio between magnesium and calcium is 1:1. Note that the need for supplemental magnesium might be two times greater than calcium given that you are likely to get more calcium from your diet

– According to Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, for every 1,000 IU’s of vitamin D you take, you may need from about 100 micrograms (mcg) of K2

– As for the vitamin D intake, get your vitamin D level tested twice annually to determine your personal dosage