Maca is regarded as a highly nutritious, energy-imbuing food, that may enhance strength and endurance while supporting healthy feelings of love and desire.

In Peru, Maca has been an important traditional food and medicinal plant for about 2000 years. Historically, it has been used for trade and during the Spanish colonization as a form of currency.

Maca is a hearty plant related to the turnip and radish that is cultivated high in the Andean Mountains at elevations from 13,000 to 15,000 feet. Maca plants grow in terribly harsh cold with poor agricultural soils. As such, nearly all maca cultivation in Peru is carried out organically, as there are few pests naturally occurring at such high altitudes, and maca itself is seldom attacked.

In an effort to reduce the amount of Maca needed to be consumed and relying on the historical data that traditionally, the Peruvians have always cooked maca, we have stopped selling the Maca Flour and developed Andeanessence. Andeanessence is a concentrated, full-strength, whole maca root extract combined with pancreatin (to further increase absorbability). Thus maintaining the synergy of the entire root and all of its nutritive value.

The Maca plant was first discovered by "modern science" in 1843 by Gerhard Walpers, who originally designated it to the species Lepidium Meyenii, the Latin name recognized by the USDA and FDA. After further study in the 1960's, most botanists determined the most appropriate name for the maca plant to be L. peruvianum and thus it has become known under this species in our more recent times.

Maca can be found in several forms: Maca Flour (dried, finely ground powder), gelatinized maca, "standardized" extracts (of part of maca's active ingredients) and whole root extracts (containing all of maca's active ingredients).

Directions for Use
Take one daily as a dietary supplement. 30 servings per container.

Read more about Maca

Q: Dr. Wong has always said to take the bulk Maca Root Powder. Why did he come out with a maca in caplet form?

A: Primarily for convenience. The Andeanessence, Dr. Wong developed, is a full strength Whole Maca Root extract blended with pancreatin to enhance absorption. Do not confuse Andeanessence with "Standardized Maca Extracts" which only contain 2 of the active components of the whole maca root. This is whole root extract which means the only thing removed is the fiber (and sugar). All the other synergistic components of the maca root have been maintained in Andeanessence.

Q: Why is your new maca product so much more expensive than the bulk powder you used to sell?

A: Actually it is not! At a glance, it may appear to be more expensive but if you do the math the cost is almost exactly the same. Each caplet of Andeanessence is worth approximately 4 tablespoons of the bulk maca root powder. Each of our 2 lb bags of maca powder (there were actually 1 kilogram bags or 2.2 lbs) contained 99 tablespoons of maca powder which at 4 tablespoons per day would last 24.75 days. If you take the time to work the math here is how it all pans out:

1. 2lb bag of maca powder sold by us for $39.00. Each bag contained 99 tablespoons of maca powder. The cost per tablespoon then would be: $39 divided by 99 which equals $.393 per tablespoon!
2. Each bottle of Andeanessence contains 30 caplets. At approximately 4 tablespoons of bulk powder per caplet, you would have approximately 120 tablespoons worth of the raw powder. The cost per tablespoon then would be: $49.95 divided by 120 which equals $.399 per tablespoon!

If you were using the bulk maca root powder and one of our 2lb (or 1 kilogram bag) bags was lasting you longer than 25 days then you were not using the product the way Dr. Wong recommends!

Q: Recently, I have read several recommendations to cycle on and off maca. In fact, ***********, says that it's easy for a man to overdo it by taking too much maca for too long and actually suffer a reverse in libido. Do you know of any reason why a man OR woman would need to cycle on and off maca? If so, is there a recommended schedule you suggest for this?

A: Maca is a food not a hormone. Normally, people are recommended to "cycle" hormones not foods. Having to cycle maca as one would do an anabolic steroid (or HRT) would come as news to the Peruvian Indians who eat the stuff daily at varying amounts (mostly high) since childhood. You can certainly cycle on and off, but honestly after being on maca for 3 years solid at fairly high intakes, I don't see what the fuss is about... maca is a food.

Q: I've seen Maca Root Powder in a capsule, can I take this instead of the Andeanessence?

A: That would be a personal preference. Most Maca root capsule products are the bulk powder simply put into a capsule for convenience. So, you would need to take 20 to 30 capsules daily to equal the 4 tablespoons per day Dr. Wong recommends. Whereas with the Andeanessence, being a whole maca root extract, you would only need to take 1 caplet per day to equal 4 tablespoons of the raw powder. Please remember that if you do decide to go with the capsule products, make sure you are not getting a standardized extract as these products only contain 2 of the active components of the whole maca root.

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