Maca for Libido, Energy and Menopause: What Trials Found

Short answer. Maca has been tested in a handful of small human trials. Reviews of those trials call the evidence for sexual function and menopause symptoms "limited", and say the trials were too few and too small for firm conclusions. [1][2] Two small trials that measured hormones in postmenopausal women found no change in them, even where symptom scores improved. [3][4] So the claim that maca "balances hormones" is not supported by those trials.

Before you start. This is information, not medical advice. Two of the menopause trials report changes in depression or anxiety scores. Nothing we read shows maca treats depression. If low mood or anxiety is affecting daily life, see a clinician; in the US you can call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) at any time. For medicine, pregnancy and quality cautions, see Maca side effects and cautions.

The plant and how it is used

Maca is Lepidium meyenii Walp., a plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), according to GBIF. [5] The edible part is the hypocotyl. [6] Traditional use: a 2011 review says it has been used for centuries in the Andes as an adaptogenic plant for anemia, infertility and female hormone balance. [1] That is a description of tradition, not evidence it works. The full profile is at Maca.

What trials found

1. Menopause symptoms

   Promising but limited

   A review of four randomized trials found favorable results on the Kupperman and Greene menopause scales, but called the evidence limited because trials, sample size and quality were too limited. [1]

   Form and people studied: Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women

2. Postmenopausal mood and sexual function

   Promising but limited (very small)

   14 women got 3.5 g/day of powdered maca for 6 weeks and placebo for 6 weeks (crossover); scores for anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction fell versus placebo. [3]

   Form and people studied: Postmenopausal women

3. Postmenopausal blood pressure and depression

   Promising but limited (pilot)

   In 29 women given 3.3 g/day of maca or placebo for 6 weeks each, diastolic blood pressure and depression scores fell after maca. [4]

   Form and people studied: Hong Kong Chinese postmenopausal women

4. Sexual function, general

   Promising but limited

   Four trials: two positive (menopausal women; healthy men's desire), one found no effect in healthy cyclists, one positive in erectile dysfunction. Authors: limited evidence. [2]

   Form and people studied: Mixed groups

5. Mild erectile dysfunction

   Promising but limited

   In 50 men given 2,400 mg of dry extract or placebo for 12 weeks, scores rose more with maca (1.6 vs 0.5 points), though placebo also improved. [7]

   Form and people studied: Men with mild ED

6. Symptoms of low testosterone-type complaints

   Promising but limited

   In 80 men, gelatinized maca (1,000 mg, two pills at a time, three times a day for 12 weeks) improved symptom questionnaires versus placebo. [8]

   Form and people studied: Men with normal testosterone but symptoms

7. Semen quality

   Mixed / insufficient

   Five trials gave mixed results; the pooled analysis did not show higher sperm concentration; effects unclear. [9]

   Form and people studied: Infertile and healthy men

8. Energy and mood

   Promising but limited (one trial)

   In 175 people given 3 g/day of extract or placebo for 12 weeks, mood, energy and health status improved; red maca did better than black on mood, energy and a chronic mountain sickness score. [10]

   Form and people studied: Adults living at low and at high altitude

Amounts are those reported by each trial, not advice. A clinician or pharmacist decides what is right for a person.

Hormones: what was measured

In the 14-woman trial, blood levels of estradiol, FSH, LH and sex hormone-binding globulin did not differ between maca and placebo. [3] In lab assays, maca extracts showed no physiologically significant estrogen-like or androgen-like activity. [3] The 29-woman trial also found no differences in estradiol, FSH, TSH or SHBG. [4] Both were small and short, so they cannot rule out effects in other groups. The sources we read do not say whether maca is safe for people with hormone-sensitive conditions; ask a clinician.

Limits to keep in mind

• Few, small trials. Reviews say numbers, sample sizes and quality were too limited for firm conclusions. [1][2]
• Different products. Trials used powder, gelatinized maca, dry extract and spray-dried red or black maca. [3][8][7][10] A result for one does not transfer to another.
• Funding and ties. One author of the 175-person trial is the manager of a small company producing nutraceuticals. [10]
• Exercise reviews mix species. A 2024 review of physical performance included animal and human experiments, so its large effect sizes are not a human result. [11] The earlier sexual-function review found no effect in healthy cyclists. [2]
• Placebo response. In the erectile dysfunction trial, placebo scores also rose significantly. [7]

Related guides: Adaptogens for perimenopause and menopause, Perimenopause and menopause, Low libido in men, Male fertility concerns.